


Already There

by Voice_of_Mischief



Series: Already There/Be Joining You Soon [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Sans wants the booty, So basically, Underfell, Unrequited Love, also school shenangins, also suicide mention, also your heart, and gets fed up when he's a dick, except still no smut for you, kiss the skeleton god damn it, lots of suicide mention, potty mouth reader asks for sans help, probably no smut ever actually, requited love yay, too bad, update, update 2, yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-05-22 12:21:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 82,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6079137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voice_of_Mischief/pseuds/Voice_of_Mischief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This places wants you dead. Who are you to deny it?</p>
<p>But then, suddenly dropping into your life comes a gift. A light in the darkness. A chance. A hope. A purpose. A reason to keep kicking and fighting and scratching at the world. </p>
<p>Also, there's a certain skeleton who isn't ready to let you go. </p>
<p>((Update: No longer a one-shot; now a roughly connected series of one-shots. Lots of swearing. Dark themes.))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hell

**Author's Note:**

> Very heavy suicide talk, by the way. You've been warned.
> 
> Wanted to try writing an Underfell one-shot and failed. Sorry. Oop.

"Fuck this. Fuck that. Fuck him. Fuck me. Up the ass. With an axe." 

You snarled to yourself as you pushed and slogged through the snow, shoulders hunched against the wind as tiny shards of pain flew into your face and stabbed your eyes. You were very, very under dressed for the terrible chill of Snowdin's forests, but there was no way you were going back to give that asshole the satisfaction of seeing you make a mistake and have to fix it. 

You had been here underground for roughly a year and a half; it was hard to tell, since all these dickasses had a different method of measuring time. How you had survived this long was a joke. You, oddly enough, with your mouth that spoke nothing but snark and oil-covered lies, with your tongue that was practiced in bitch and slyness, had been able to talk yourself out of most bad situations by either bribing or making a good point on the upsides of any said demon-spawn monster bastard not killing you. It wasn't always easy, (you had to pay Grillby copious amounts in order for him to back off at least once month) but, hey, studying up on the mechanics of telling and spinning a lie while seeming convincing apparently paid you good stead.

Hell, you'd even made 'friends' of a sort.

Or, as close as you can get to friends down here. Papyrus was still a huge dick and had an enormous stick up his ass about why he hadn't killed you yet, Undyne and Alphys just barely tolerated your existence, you and the robot had a surprisingly large amount of things in common, and Sans...

Sans was a good for nothing, lazy, bitch of an ass bastard. 

The very thought of him made your blood curdle and boil. Your skin prickled with unseen bristled hair. Your lips contorted into a probably hideous snarl. Damn him. Damn him to god damn fucking hell, he wasn't worth the shit on the bottom of his shoes.

You shouldered your way past another tree, snapping a "Fuck off, not in the mood" to a passing guard cat, who promptly spat but turned away anyway. 

What were you doing here? Why had ever thought coming to this hell under earth was a good idea? Was it foolishness? Was it fate? 

Or...

Was it...

Because you...?

Well. Not even you knew the answer. 

You remembered only faint glimmers of the world above your head, most of which weren't good things. Humans were assholes. At least monster were upfront about wanting to kill you. If monsters wanted to kill off the human race and be rid of them, it wouldn't be worth the effort.

"Fucking bastard. He can go eat one of Alphys' toxic goo monsters. With acid on top. And... fucking..." Your mind was failing you as you winced against the wind and eventually had to stop. You drew a deep breath and instantly regretted it, the cold sharp in the back of your throat. Since when had Snowdin's been this cold? Sure, it was as icy as your heart, but had it always been this ferocious?

Why had your first instinct been to head for the ruins? Were you hoping, by some stupid slip of chance, that Toriel would, for once, answer your knocking? 

Sure, she was deranged with grief and bitter and angry, but so were you. Or at least, you thought you were. Might as well be. 

Why hadn't she killed you on the spot, freed all monsters and slain the human race in a surprise attack? Why hadn't Sans? Why hadn't Papyrus? Why hadn't Grillby? Why hadn't Alphys? Why hadn't Undyne? Why had you talked your way out of it? Why hadn't you taken the hint and let them?

You forced your legs to move again, even as it felt like the tendons were snapping and cracking with the effort of it.

Sans. Bastard. Dick. Too thick, too full of himself, too condescending to let you finish a sentence. Too stuck up to help you out this once. Too... 

 

"oh, good, it's the pity committee. i would ask how's it going, but i think how you look says it all." The skeleton lounging on the couch of his living room snickered to himself as you shoved your way inside, soon slamming the cold out behind a closed door.

"Fuck off."

"hey, you came to me, human."

You'd told him a dozen and a million times you had a fucking name. "It's cold as balls outside."

"no, really? color me surprised."

You sat on the table near the door, slipping your coat off of your shoulders carefully. "What's up, shit face?"

"resorting back to insults? i thought you better then that."

"Or don't answer, that's fine too, not like I actually care."

"peachy."

For a while, you snapped back and forth at each other, as you usually did. While you 100% meant your insults, it was hard to tell when he was just pushing your buttons or he really meant you were a lowlife nobody that jumped down here in an attempt to off yourself. 

To be honest, you didn't doubt that.

After a while, you both fell quiet. He looked like he was dozing, but the flicker of red in his socket was enough to let you know that wasn't the case. You swung your feet idly, mind wandering for a while. 

"What are monster children like?" You suddenly asked, loud in the strange quiet. He blinked his eyes open, sliding you a contemptuous look.

"don't tell me you got yourself knocked up."

"Fuck off, I'm legitimately curious here. I just-"

He chuckled, eyes nearly closing again. "what's it matter? stronger then you, if that's what you're wondering. anyone down here could kill you in an instant if they wanted. myself included. you seem to forget that a lot." He chuckled again, red disk of a pupil lazily sliding to look at you. 

"I mean-"

"it sure would be a funny way to see you go, offed by that little bastard that hangs out on waterfall. i'll have to introduce you some time." His grin widened at his own bad joke, but it faltered slightly when he looked at you. 

Your fingers were curled into your palms, nails biting into the flesh harshly. Your eyes boiled with frustration and something else that made something clear and wet shine at the bottom of your eyelids. With a huff, you abruptly stood and shoved the door open.

"where you goin'?" He raised an eye brow at you, faintly confused. Normally you would have snapped and snarled at him, given a sarcastic quip, called him a name. 

"I would say Hell, but I'm already there."

And the door closed loudly behind you, leaving him even more confused at the vague answer. His gaze trailed back to where you were sitting, finding your coat still lying there in a heap. There was a blizzard brewing outside. You wouldn't last long without the heavy fur coat.

"you'll be back." He said to himself, getting comfortable on the old, beat up couch.

 

The door to the ruins came into sight. You shuffled up to it, the snow around your ankles no longer hurting and biting like a hundred dead dogs' teeth. You collapsed into the shadow of it, back against the hard, gritty surface. It bit into your shoulders, but you found yourself too tired to care. The wind howled above your head.

A small shuffling and a tiny peep from your hoodie's inner pocket brought you out of a dazed daydream. You pulled the zipper down just a little, pulling the corner back just enough to peer into said pocket.

The tiny, pale orange monster inside lifted its feathered head to you, jaws opening in another peep. The raptor-like creature fluttered its tiny arms, little claws snagging against the pocket's threads. You let out a sigh, carefully covering it up again.

"Sorry, little buddy. Looks like I'm not gonna be the only one to die out here. I should have just left you at Grillby's. Maybe he'd have half a heart for once and find you a good place to stay. Would've done a better job then I have, anyway."

You'd found a small monster egg- big enough to cradle in two hands, but still surprisingly tiny, tinier then you expected- in waterfall, a group of Temmie's contemplating what to do with it. You had barged in and stolen it as they were discussing eating it, barely getting away with your limbs intact. 

You had gone to the first monster you could think of when it hatched- Sans. You weren't sure why. He was the closest thing to sane down here. And that wasn't saying much. Maybe if you'd told Toriel you had a baby for her, she would have...

You twisted around, beating a fist against the heavy stone door with all the might you had left in your cold-stiff arms. You beat for an eternity, but there was no response from the other side of the door.

"Fuck." You gave up, slouching again. The stinging in your eyes strengthened, then something hot and liquid ran down your cheeks like molten metal.

Tears. 

"Sorry I couldn't save you, buddy. I just can't get up. Too tired. Sorry." You sighed, eventually falling into an uneasy doze as the wind whipped around you and nipped at your face like a thousand hungry kittens.

Sleep eluded you, even as you sought for it. The cold kept you awake.

After what felt like forever, you were jarred out of your emotional numb by crunching coming from up the path. Someone was walking in this direction. Good. Maybe they could finally have what they wanted- your soul. Kill you quicker then this bodiless death that threw cold in your face like Sans spat insults. 

You didn't care enough to look up. 

"fuck, what are you doing out here? trying to get yourself killed?" 

The haziness of your vision sharpened as you recognized the voice. Though it hurt like a bitch, you lifted your head to look at him. Sans, hands stuffed in his pockets, stood there looking at you as if you were insane. Maybe you were.

"Perhaps."

He snorted, shaking his head. "i knew humans were stupid, but you have surpassed my expectations."

"I'm so proud of myself."

For a while, he just stood there, studying you. He didn't know what to make of what you were doing out here. He felt a foreign flash of alarm when tears slid slowly down your cheeks again, and he realized the reason your cheeks were sparkling in the dim was light was because previous tear tracks had frozen there.

Before he could do anything, you spoke again.

"Hey."

"what?"

"I'm useless to this guy. Take him and find him a place to grow up, yeah? Just make sure he doesn't end up as fucked up as you." He watched your clumsily pull part of your jacket open, ready to tell you that was a batshit insane idea when you pulled something carefully out. He'd never seen you treat something so delicately before.

He shuffled a little closer to see what you had cupped in your hands. He felt a jolt of shock when a tiny monster lifted it head from your palm and tilted its head at him. It opened its jaws in a yawn, fluffing up its feathers and letting out a whine when a bolt of wind slid past.

Well. That explained that random question earlier. He was left staring at it for a several moments, until your arms eventually relaxed and brought it to your chest again, away from the open air.

"Found egg in waterfall. Didn't even know if it was still alive, so I waited. Hatched earlier. Wanted some advice, but you were just as an ass, as usual. Not sure what I was expecting. Toriel wouldn't answer. Now I'm gonna die out here." His eye snapped up to you as you let out a long breath, a cloud forming in front of you. "But he doesn't have to. Take him to someone. He deserves better then this."

Your eyelids dropped as he came yet closer. Normally you would have snapped something about personal space, but it seemed your were too tired to care.

"Now you can have what you all wanted, eh? Freedom. Not sure why you crave the surface so much. Ain't so great. Wanna kill humans, maybe? Give it a few years. They'll kill each other off themselves." 

He was oddly disturbed by your resignation to the cold. Normally, you kicked and scratched and fought back with a vengeance. 

He was fairly certain you weren't always so bitter and angry. He had caught glimpses of another you- you, with morals and standards and a heart too big for your body. He remembered the time he'd aimed a punch for you and missed, cracking his phalanges against the wall behind you. While you had said he deserved it, you also asked if he needed help.

He couldn't just let you die.

He had grown... fond of you, in an odd way. He wasn't sure how to express it, so he had kept on tormenting you. He was afraid that, whenever you started talking, you'd notice him actually taking interest in what you were saying. He couldn't be thought of as soft. Not in a society like this.

But he couldn't just let you die out here, even if it risked his reputation.

You were muttering to yourself when he slipped his arms under you, lifting both you and the small monster tucked into your chest off the snowy stone and against his ribs. You blinked yourself awake, eyes unfocused.

"... What?"

"come on, you fucking moron. i always knew humans were stupid, but you forgetting your coat like that really trumped my expectations." 

And then you were in his living room, and you were surprised by the sudden temperature change. 

"Didn't..." You shook your head as if it to shake off snow, which you did. "Save him. Not me. Let me die. Be free. What you always wanted. One less thorn in your side."

Sans silently lowered you to the couch, faintly surprised, faintly worried that you weren't fighting him. Trying to get his hands off you. Trying to stand up and struggle away. 

"Just... let me die, Sans." You sighed out, eyelids drooping closed. "Go where I belong, then. Hell."

"you're already there."

But you were already asleep.


	2. Part two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh I just wanted to write more of baby monster. I might make this a series?? But it currently has no plot, so,,, uh,,, unless an idea falls into my lap, I can't do anything with it.

When you woke up again, you were faintly surprised you didn't wake to pearly gates, or everlasting flames and rivers of liquid death. 

No, you woke in Sans' house, the living room to be exact. You couldn't help but scowl. Maybe this was your own personal purgatory. It would have been nice if you could remember what you were being punished for and therefore could repent for it.

It was very warm. Upon sitting up, you discovered why. Piles upon piles of blankets were thrown over the top of you, a glass of water sitting on the end table beside you. You were confused. Who's brought you here and done this, and why? Everyone in this hellhole wanted you dead. Wanted your soul. Wanted freedom. 

You strained your memory to remember how you got here. Your 'argument' with a certain assface, the cold, the small monster in your pocket, Toriel's door, Sans appearing, an overwhelming sense of another presence... 

Another presence. Death at your doorstep. Or, rather, Toriel's. But not for her.

The feeling that you were surely going to die. Sudden temperature change. Hell. Already there. 

Nothing. 

Everything was hazy, blurred at the edges. Specifics evaded you. And it pissed you off. 

Scowling, you tested your hands as you sat up, bending each finger carefully. Then your toes. You felt at your face, wincing you found a hint of freeze burn on your cheeks. You'd probably started crying, like the emotional dirtbag you were. Your hoodie- the bright, cobalt blue one you loved so much- was missing. Whoever took it was going to lose a finger.

Suddenly, your thoughts sharpened as you realized something. Where was the little guy? You swung your legs off the couch, then froze.

Sans was sitting on a chair almost across the room, snoozing if the lack of red behind his eyelids told you anything. His sarcastic, mocking smile was dropped, a grimace in its place. He was slouched back, hands in his pockets making his pudge look larger. 

Sprawled across said pudge was the little guy, almost doubled in size since you'd last seen him. Rather then being the size of a newborn rabbit as he was previously, he was roughly the size of a large kitten. Spread out across Sans' belly, he looked very fluffy and bright, compared to the gloomy atmosphere. Peaceful, even. It contrasted harshly to Sans' own demeanor, though not in a bad sense. More, it put things into... perspective.

Not everything down here was born to be evil.

You had no idea how to respond to the situation. It went against everything you'd previously thought of Sans. While you still weren't entirely sure he was the one who'd more or less saved you, seeing him with the little guy like that... He almost looked like he had allowed it. You were 99% sure he would fling the little scrap of fluff and feathers off as soon as he woke. 

You carefully sniffed the water in the glass beside you before you took a sip, attempting to make sure it wasn't poisoned. While you were still resolved to death's embrace coming at some point, you didn't want to die to Sans so he could laugh about how gullible you were to your dead body. You wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

You shuffling around apparently woke the little guy, because suddenly his head shot up and he jumped off of Sans' gut, which Sans did no more then grumble at, and scuttle over to the couch and attempt to jump up. He was like you first thought- a small, very fluffy raptor-like monster, with a wing-like arms that had tiny, clawed fingers, a tiny ruffling of feathers framing his head. He had tiny, kitten like teeth and bright eyes, very expressive as he chirruped to you.

It took him a few tries to get up beside, having to hang on to the edge and scrabble to get a foothold before you helped pull him up. His legs- down to nubby, clawed toes- were also covered in feathery down. He made a series of bird like noises and poked at your hands when he clambered into your lap, light as a loaf of bread.

"Hi, little guy. You seem pretty bright and chipper." You ran a finger down the crown of his head, and he pulled it down so he could nibble on it. 

If he got any cuter, you might just implode.

He was attempting to play tug o' war with your hair as you leaned over him, you laughing and giggling as he continually lost his grip every time you sat up, when Sans finally woke up. You didn't notice at first, too busy rolling the small raptor over as he scrabbled at your fingers with claws too tiny to hurt.

"it's about time you decided to wake up." 

You jumped, lifting your head to look up as the little guy rolled to his feet and chirped at the skeleton now glaring at you. "Um. Hi. Good morning to you, too."

"oh, don't pull that 'innocent and oblivious' act with me. you're out of your mind, going out there without your coat. what, too prideful to come back and get it and face the big bad skeleton?" He sneered, crossing his arms as he narrowed his eye sockets at you. The red light in his left socket bore into you, but all you could feel was indignation.

"Hey, I tried to ask you a genuine question, and you threw it back in my face. You could have left me out there if it makes you so mad that I'm still alive." You scowled right back him.

He would have never admitted it, but he felt faintly relieved that your bite was back. And, as much as he hated to admit it, you had a point. He /could/ have just left you out there, to die in the cold and be covered in snow and falling debris. He could have left the pathetic scrap of a monster that was currently nuzzling your neck out there, too. 

But then, no one would have admitted it for all the money in the world (well, perhaps Grillby would, in an empty room), but the townsfolk had grown used to your presence and, with your talk back attitude and readiness to fight back for what you saw was right, you were almost like one of them. The fights they had with you were somewhat of a game, a routine, if a very dangerous one. Even Asgore was too lazy and proud to come and off the lowly human himself. 

You didn't need to know that, though.

"what good to me would a dead human be?" He snapped right back. 

"Could break the barrier, for one thing." You began to count on your fingers. "Could have me out of your hair. According to Muffet, could make some pretty great sweets. Could have, if you guys are telling the truth about the strength of my soul, fused with my soul and ended everyone that's wronged you. Could have-"

"alright, i get it, you can shut up now." He rolled his eye, running a hand over his face. He was stuck between a rock and hard place. Should he spin a lie, avoid the subject, or tell you the truth? "i... you're of more use to me alive." He eventually grunted out, avoiding your gaze. The annoying pest had wound its way around your neck, and, judging by the way you kept fidgeting, it tickled.

"Oh, really? 'Cause, you know, based on the multiple death threats I've gotten from you on thousands of occasions, I just can't imagine how I got the idea otherwise. Enlighten me?" You gave a smile just oozing sarcasm and he would have never admitted, not on his life, that he found it attractive.

"piss off."

You suddenly scowled and laid a hand over the head of the thing resting on your shoulder. "Hey, watch your language. Didn't I say I didn't want him as messed up as you?" 

Sans snorted, but didn't say anymore on the subject. Instead, he proceeded to tell you just how much trouble he went through for your sorry -muffled noise here- as he had to fight off Papyrus and multiple other monsters, curious about your condition and wondering if you were dying so they could finally get out of there. The whole time, you rolled your eyes and muttered about how he could have just as easily let you die, which he promptly ignored.

Part of him was surprised. How had you not picked up on the fact that you made him feel something other then rotting contempt for those around him and anxiety? He had been sure you would have noticed, since he, of all monsters, had been the one to save you. But then, you didn't seem to have a very high opinion of him. While he would never have admitted that it made him feel bad for pretty much driving you to almost-suicide, he begrudgingly admitted to himself that it was about time he changed his disposition towards you, if only slightly. 

By the time he was done complaining, it seemed you'd long since stopped listening. He felt anger flare up in his chest at being ignored, but crushed it down. He still wasn't sure exactly how healthy you were, and stressing you out might make you die or something.

Rather than being focused on the guy who saved your life, you seemed intrigued by the worm wiggling in your hands, cooing to it and smiling at it in a way he'd never seen you do before. Seeing you genuinely happy rather than satisfied at someone getting what they deserved was a lot cuter on you, Sans realized. For a while, everything was quiet except for the muffled chirps and squeaks from the thing he hated to admit was a monster like himself.

"So, you found a home for this guy yet?" You suddenly asked, glancing up at the skeleton with a genuinely inquiring gaze. It took him a second to process the question, and when he did he let out bark of laughter.

"it's still here, isn't it? you're kidding yourself if you really think anyone in the underground would want to take care of /that./ i've just been keeping it alive until you finally got off your sorry-" You shot a look that would make a lesser man drop dead. He shut his mouth with a humph, looking away.

"Jerk." You muttered out, fluffing the things feathers up the wrong way. "Well, little guy, looks like you're stuck with me until someone comes looking for you or Toriel finally answers her door." You cooed to the whelp crawling over your knees, giggling when it flapped its wings as if preparing for take off. "Sorry, pal, none of that." You gently pulled it backwards by its tail, making it chirp in question.

It disgustingly cute, watching you interact with the thing.

"At least this way you won't end up like certain other, gross, short-tempered, bad mouthing, lazy-"

"ha, ha. shut your mouth before i do for it you."

The laugh you let out was surprisingly real-sounding, not done out of mockery or malice. You stood up, blankets pooling on the floor as you cradled the whelp in your arms.

"You thought of a name for him yet?"

Sans made a face. "a name?"

You raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, a name." You spoke deliberately slowly, as if he was a child or just stupid. "Like how your name is Sans, and your brothers name is-"

"i know what a name is." He snapped. "you seriously want to name that thing, is what i'm asking." 

You gave him a disgusted look. "Of course. He's one of your own kind, Sans. I can understand treating me like garbage, but you've got to have enough morality locked up in your thick skull to at least be halfway decent to your kin."

"that," He narrowed his eyes at the object of your affections, "hardly qualifies as a monster."

You snorted, heading for the kitchen. For a while, all he heard was you rustling around in cabinets, then opening the fridge. When you came out, you had a fresh glass of water and leftovers from Grillby's in your hands. The twerp was balancing delicately on your shoulders.

You popped open the leftover box, passing the thing a small bite of food. For a few moments, all you did was sit there and eat his food like you owned the place. He found himself too apathetic about it to demand you put it back or threaten your life. 

"How about Helvetica?" 

Sans raised an eyebrow. "Helvetica?"

"Yeah, since fonts seem to be a such a popular thing down here." You snarked right back, a challenging look on your face. "What do you think, little guy? Helvetica, or nah?" 

The orange feather ball chirruped and nudged your cheek with its nose. 

"Helvetica it is."

Sans was glad that you chose that name; in a way, it was like admitting yourself and the orange pest- Helvetica- as part of his and Papyrus' broken family line. Normally, only skeletons had font names, but it seemed alright to make an exception, just this once. After all, this was going to be your adopted child, and, in a way, it felt like a claim over you and the thing.

He liked the idea of you being his, and a small part of him had already grown fond of the tiny, innocent youth that was now attempting to wiggle its way under your shirt. Damn. He wished that was him in its place.

Not only would he be up under your shirt, but perhaps you would give him the same warm, fond smile that you couldn't help but give the tiny thing now being held up above your head as it wiggled playfully and nipped at your fingers.

He sighed to himself, scratching at his cheek as he looked away. He couldn't believe he'd grown fond of the one person that couldn't stand him. Okay, maybe not one, but you get the idea.

 

Several weeks had passed since the night you'd collapsed at Toriel's door. You had settled back into your little shack at the edge of town, since Sans wouldn't let you leave his house for a few days for fear of you catching your death in the cold outside. The locals had all grown accustomed to the new companion you now brought with you everywhere, perhaps treating you with a little more chivalry then before.

Eventually, you had stopped looking for Helvetica's parents or whoever had abandoned him in the middle of waterfall and accepted him as your own, though you were more of an older sister figure than a motherly one. You were teaching him everything you knew about the underground, with a little help from Sans and Papyrus.

Speaking of, Papyrus had grown much more tolerable of you lately. He never felt the need to make a show of 'sparing the weak and miserable human' anymore, instead being almost friendly. Turns out, he had an affinity for Helvetica, or perhaps children in general. Maybe he felt a resonance in the small, abandoned runt. You didn't really know.

Sans had noticed your doom-and-gloom attitude slipping away over the past month or so. It was almost strange to see you smiling and waving at other monsters as they passed, and you took Helvetica to Grillby's a few times to see Grillby. Grillby still demanded money every so often, a toll for living underground, but he was much more tolerable of your presence at his bar whenever you had the small monster child at your side. 

It seemed the small creature was exactly what you needed.

An innocence in a place of nothing but darkness and spite. Something closer to home, perhaps, than the threatening conversations and looks of distaste you got from nearly everyone else. Something to do. A purpose. 

He would have never admitted it, not for all the mustard in the underground, but seeing you getting better was... 

Nice.

One day, coming home from 'work' (getting yelled at by Papyrus), Sans was surprised to find a lot of up-churned snow around his house and the shed. He was instantly suspicious, and the patch of multi-colored snow where it looked like water had been dumped carelessly did nothing to sooth it. Monster dust, if mixed with the right amount of water, could produce such colors, much like very diluted paint.

The door to the shed was slightly open. He growled to himself. Whoever was in there was about to get a mouthful of Gaster Blaster. He quickly shoved it open with one shoulder, eye burning with a vengeance and ready to summon a weapon to his aid.

"who-"

The words died on his tongue. His eye dimmed to its usual red, staring at the far wall as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. 

The entire wall was covered in bright colors, an intricate but messy painting wiped across the surface. Several shallow plates laid around, little pools of more bright color sitting in their midst. Such bright colors- no way was that the result of monster dust. A bucket of water, grayed out colors swirling inside, sat beside the door, beside a stained towel. None of this would have meant anything if it weren't for what the painting was of.

A smooth plain, a few hills, the rippling surface of yellow water, a gold path leading up to a yellow disk sitting at the edge of said water, buttercup and cream streaked across it. To the right, what appeared to be enormous stones rose in purples and blues, pale at the top, dark shadows showing how craggy they were. A smooth, blended background of pale blue, fading to a purplish color the higher it went. 

You and Helvetica were sitting on the floor in front of it. As Sans slowly dragged his gaze away from the mosaic of colors on the wall down to you, he found your sleeves rolled up to your elbows despite the cold, color coating your hands and arms, some even speckling the very ends of the sleeves. Helvetica was tilting his head as he gazed at the mural, surprisingly still and quiet.

For a long time, everything was quiet. Then, you spoke, quietly to the small child beside you, still no taller then your knees. 

"That's what the surface is like. Maybe one day, you'll get to see the real live version. I can't do it any justice, not even if I had a photograph." Sans saw you close your eyes, as if conjuring a memory. "The air down here is so... recycled. I'd give anything if you could take a deep breath of the mountain air one day. Even if I have to die to make it happen, that's my wish. For you to see and touch and feel and experience the surface one day."

Sans' voice stuck in his throat, and he directed his gaze back to the painting on the wall. So... That's what the surface was like? Why had you ever wanted to leave? 'Grass is greener' bullshit? Foolishness? Fate? 

Or because you just weren't happy up there? 

Part of him- a part that admitted he was sick and twisted in the head- was faintly glad you were down here, trapped beside him in this ghastly hell, a tiny, orange angel at your side. Without a word, he quietly slipped out of the shed. He'd come back in a few, when he recollected himself and was ready to face you again.

He was much more emotional then he should have been, at the moment.


	3. AUTHORS NOTE

Authors note:

If I was to make this a series of connected one-shots, with no real plot or direction, would you guys read it? I want to see if I can get better at writing the Underfell universe, but I don't want to do it if no one gives a flying fox about it. Leave a comment and tell me what you think.


	4. Words, Names, and the like

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something to keep in mind:
> 
> My version of Underfell- or at least the one I'm using here- has the characters pretty similar to their original personalities, just a lot more aggressive and angry and trigger-happy 24/7. While they're certainly not good people, they're not murder machines, either. If you don't like my portrayal, that's cool, I can understand that. Feel free to find another fic to read that suits your own views better.

Another month or so had passed, and you, apparently, were surprised by Helvetica's development. You seemed to marvel at how fast he grew, which Sans couldn't help but snort at. Though, how could he have expected you to know that monsters, since birth, had a growth spurt until they reached a set size, then they grew like any other creature out in the world. He assumed it was a survival tactic- much like how horses could run within fifteen minutes of birth. He found it funny that you seemed relieved that Helvetica was both growing fast and fairly intelligent, since it was clear you had no idea what you were doing the majority of the time.

The kid was still small- too small to sit on a chair unless he made a jump for it- but Sans found himself very faintly proud of him whenever he discovered a clever way around a problem or accomplished a difficult task. 

He remembered when you had asked the tiny monster to fetch something for you- a bag of sugar, or something of the sort, specifics evaded him- to see just how much effort the little scrap would put into it. When Helvetica came scampering back to you with a bag of sugar nearly twice his weight on his back, skidding and sliding over the floor, you had laughed and grinned and applauded him, and Sans would never admit he felt a swell of pride in his chest at the sight. 

The little guy was a fighter, in a way. Not like you- you shoved your way through obstacles with the ferocity of an enraged rhinoceros. No, he simply wouldn't stop trying until he found a way to accomplish whatever task he was presented with. Or, /you/ presented him. The kid was ridiculously eager to please you. Maybe it was mother hen instincts- he assumed the first creature he saw when he hatched was his mother.

Which wasn't too far off, considering you fawned over and spoiled him like he was your son.

While it did get annoying, Sans found the expressions you made while sitting contentedly with Helvetica asleep in your lap much better then the contempt filled looks you still gave nearly everyone else. Especially himself. 

He wished you would hurry up and warm up to him. It had been nearly two years, and you'd yet to show any signs of returning his affections. The closest you came to treating anyone like a friend was begrudgingly asking anyone for advice.

Except for that damn robot.

Perhaps in a past life, you and Mettaton had a lot in common. While he saw nothing of Mettaton in you as of currently, whenever he asked why you considered him your one friend in this place, you said it was because you had a lot of shared problems. It made him grind his teeth every time he caught you talking to the hunk of scrap metal, or returning from Hotland, because he knew you weren't going there for Alphys.

The good thing was that Mettaton didn't seem to know what to do with himself around the kid, which meant you had gradually spending less time with him as time went by. Of course, there were times you had left Helvetica with Grillby, if for a high price. You always came back rather quickly on these occasions, however, still not entirely trusting of anyone around the kid.

Sans would have said you could leave Helvetica with him, but that would both be admitting he was soft and allowing you a chance to spend time with Mettaton, and he didn't want either of those things.

You gave him a headache. The best thing to do was sleep it off. So, that's what he was doing, snoozing at his post out in the forest, the only place where you could get some quiet out here. If he closed his eyes just right, he could imagine you were in front of him, giving him that bright eyed look he'd only seen you direct at Helvetica, and he liked it even better when it was aimed at him, and he could imagine you saying his name with the same kind of affection-

"/Sans/!"

Something cold and wet and hard that spattered on contact crashed into his skull and he jolted upright, eye igniting furiously as he prepared to beat the hell out of whoever just threw that at him. Hand forming a fist, he snapped his head in the direction of the voice.

You were stalking down the path of the forest, eyes burning furiously as Helvetica skipped at your feet, feathery wings hugging his sweater-clad sides as he pranced about in the snow. In a way, the look on your face reminded him of the time he first met you, burning with indignation and self righteousness.

You slammed your hands down on the post's counter as he huffed, falling back into his seat with an eye roll.

"oh, it's just you and the most annoying speck on the face of the planet."

You ignored him, and he could see you grinding your teeth. "Guess who said his first word today." You eventually growled out, narrowing your eyes at him.

Huh. And here he thought mothers were supposed to be all over that meaningless junk, all mushy-gushy about it and treating it like something to be admired. "okay." He shrugged, too apathetic about the situation to snarl at you for throwing a snowball at him or interrupting his sleep. 

"Guess. What. It. Was." You hissed out between your teeth, and he could practically smell your rage.

And, then, right on cue-

"Shit!"

His eyes flew open, a grin finding a home on his face, broadening when he saw you close your eyes and curl your fists in concealed anger. The tiny orange snout just barely poking up beside you was smiling innocently, and when he rose to his feet to look down at the tiny monster, it's eyes portrayed the same. 

"Shit!" Helvetica happily chirped again, blinking his eyes up at Sans as if wondering why he so happy.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Sans broke into a full-blown laugh, throwing his head back. The whole situation was just priceless- your anger, Helvetica's cluelessness, and with him probably at the root of it all. When he calmed himself enough to look at you again, he nearly broke out into laughter again. You were shooting him a look sharper than flint, and Helvetica was tilting his head confusedly.

"well, gotta say, it's a pretty nice choice for first words." He sniggered out, giving you a seemingly innocent look.

"Ha. Ha. Ha." You spat out, then turned to Helvetica, crouching in the snow. "Buddy, listen. That's not a word you should go around saying, okay?"

"nah, it's fine." Sans smirked when you whirled on him, but wasn't able to dodge the snow you flung in his face again and wiped it away with a scowl.

"It's only a word big, bad, ugly and crude monsters should say, alright? And you're not any of those things, right?" You gave Helvetica a little grin. "You're a smart little cute guy, right?"

Sans scowled as the tiny monster ruffled his feathers as if flustered. "you really shouldn't talk about yourself that way, human."

When you aimed to fling another handful of cold slush at him, he caught you wrist and held it in a tight grip. He was done with games. He was done with you spiting him, without even being discreet about it. He was done with the way you made him feel, only to turn around and treat him as if he was the scum of the earth. 

You seemed caught off guard for a moment, then you furrowed your brows and snarled at him. "Let me go, Sans."

"you sure he didn't pick it up from you, potty mouth? you think you've got no flaws now that you've got that little pest with you, eh?" Sans sneered at you, grinning at you as if you were a naive brat about to be told off. 

"Sans, let me go." You gave your wrist a tug and, after a moment of hesitation, he did. With a huff, he looked away. 

While he was tired of you playing games with him, he knew this wasn't the way to get on your good side.

You rubbed at your wrist, glare boring into him as you seemed to falter for a second. He suddenly realized he'd been gripping you a lot harder then he'd intended- there was a mark where his fingers had been. He felt a flash of guilt and crushed it down.

"Y/N?" 

Both you and Sans snapped to attention, directing your focus to the small orange monster now giving you a worried look. Helvetica tilted his head under your gaze, tiny claws grabbing at the front of his baggy sweater.

"Y/N?"

And suddenly you were smiling, lifting the lightweight fledging up under his arms and spinning him in a circle. All the worry flew away from his face and he started laughing, flapping his wings before putting his tiny hands on yours.

"Did you hear that, Sans? He said my name! Do it again!"

"Y/N!" Helvetica chirped, tail swinging back and forth and hitting your arms gently. 

"yippee." Sans rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning back as if he didn't have a care in the world. A small part of him was glad that the young monster had chosen that moment to speak up; it worked to bring your mind off had happened just a few seconds prior as you crouched on the ground in front of the little monster.

"What about his name?" You suddenly said, drawing Sans out of his thoughts. "Can you say Sans? Sans?" You pointed to the skeleton, and Sans quickly looked away as if he wasn't really invested in whether the little scrap would or not.

Helvetica tilted his head, like a curious dog, seemingly pondering the request.

"Come on, say his name. What's this guy called?" You nodded to Sans again, giving an encouraging smile.

"S... Sin?" 

Sans froze. He slowly turned his head to look at you, only to see you seemingly fighting back a smile. Your eyes crinkled with concealed laughter and a smile wormed its way across your face.

"W-what was that?" You choked out, still focused on Helvetica.

"Sin?" He tilted his head, as if inquiring whether that was right.

And you utterly lost it. Sans was fuming, enraged that you were taking so much joy in this. You were practically rolling in the snow with laughter, clutching your stomach as you gasped for air. He narrowed his eye sockets at you as you finally calmed.

"Yes, my boy." You wheezed out, ruffling Helvetica's head. "That is most certainly what he is."

Sans would have happily let you enjoy a mouthful of Gaster Blaster right then, but then you stood up, lifting Helvetica under one arm, gave him a cheeky smile, then dashed off in the direction of town. He snarled after you, telling you just what he was going to do when he got his hands on you.

Of course, you both knew he didn't mean it, at least not entirely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, feel free to leave prompts or scenarios in the comments, since this is basically just a series of connected one-shots now.
> 
> Btw, in case you were wondering what Helvetica looks like specifically, I got bored and doodled him earlier:
> 
> http://shibainuunited.tumblr.com/image/139823372421


	5. In another reality...

Sans remembered the first day he met you.

He'd met previous 'players' before, and made quick work of them. It seemed just when he was close enough to touch the soul, it all disappeared under his touch. He would wake as if from a dream, thoroughly confused and pissed off. It happened, again and again and again, until it came to the point where he didn't even care for the surface any more; if he got bored of the timeline, a human was sure to show up and make it easy for him to start again. After all, none of the humans put up much fight to begin with; it was almost too easy.

But then there was you.

The second he'd taken aim for you, taunted you for being a lost little human child in a big bad monster world, you had snapped back at him with a ferocity that caught him off guard. You dodged out of the way of a few dagger-sharp shards of bone, indignation and self righteousness clear in your eyes as you took a surprisingly good stance- as if you were ready to fight.

When he recovered, he'd sneered at you for being so naive as to thinking you could fight back against him when he clearly had the upper hand. Then, you opened your mouth. He remembered the words clearly: "If you want to kill me, you're going to have to do it when you're not trying to make a show. Kill me all you want, save the words for my dead body. I don't have any interest in listening," you'd snarled, fists curling at your sides. 

He'd tried to hit you a few more times, but each time you got out with minimal damage, even if it was just child's play to him. He realized you meant what you'd said: So long as he kept talking while trying to hit you, you'd keep preventing him from hitting you. You were... interesting. You had a strong sense of self. Something about you made him faintly curious. Eventually, he had laughed and let you by, being sure to warn you about his terrible sibling. You'd ignored him, and he remembered faintly marveling at your courage.

He was sure you would die. You didn't.

He never got to see your soul. In order for it to appear, you had to either die or consent to a certain kind of fight, which you did neither of. You dealt with everyone else in the much the same way as him- dodging. Also, talking. You were surprisingly good with words, and used it to your advantage. You impressed him. You impressed the others, too, apparently. Eventually, they'd stopped trying to actually get your soul and just fought with you out of habit. 

It seemed he wasn't the only one that didn't care about the surface anymore.

As time had gone by, he was only faintly surprised when it didn't reset. So he was right in thinking the human's deaths had been linked with the world's reset. But would it happen when you died? Would it all go back to zero again? Would he have to go back to his old routine?

Would he ever meet you again?

He surprised himself with the last thought. It was then he realized his interest in you was more then a scientist had for a subject, and he quickly despised you for it. How dare you! Just who did you think you were? For a long time, he fought it, tried to convince himself that he didn't feel anything for you. Then he gave in. Was it really all that bad, to have feelings for you? Hell, maybe he could make you like him back.

He was wrong.

The impressions he'd made with you over time hadn't been repealed as quickly as he wanted. He was getting tired of waiting, but his understanding of how this would work was that you would come around to him if he was the only one being nice to you, but apparently his definition of 'nice' and your definition of 'nice' were very different.

At the very least, you spent more time with him more then anyone, but that might have been because, A. Mettaton wasn't good with kids and B. Sans was the only one that wasn't threatening to end your life on a weekly base. Well, he might have been, but apparently you knew he only half-way meant it.

That's probably how you ended up where you were now, sitting on one of the old rickety bridges in Waterfall, Helvetica splashing around and about nearby. His sweater laid in a heap in your lap, and you absently played with it in the silence. 

Why Sans had joined you, he wasn't sure, since it was proving to be doing nothing towards you growing closer to him. He was contemplating giving up entirely, twiddling a toothpick between his teeth, flicking little bits of debris into the water as it rolled past. Was it really worth all this trouble?

"Sans." You suddenly said, but it wasn't angry or frustrated or peeved or spiteful. It was just... your voice, surprisingly quiet.

"what?" He grunted in response, sliding a glance in your direction. You were still gazing off into space, as if lost in thought.

"Why are you guys like this?"

He paused, toothpick between his teeth falling slack. He narrowed his eye sockets at you, faintly suspicious of this being some ploy so you could mess with him all over again. "we've always been like this. it's the way we're made."

"But then, why isn't Helvetica like that, all angry and bitter and hate-filled? He's just... a kid. A normal, perfectly happy kid." You twisted your head to watch said monster attempt to balance on a mushroom and continually slide off, all the while smiling curiously. 

When Sans didn't respond- in all honesty, he didn't have an answer other then you were the one influencing him, but then, not even you were so purely happy and curious of the world- you decided to continue.

"Were you angry? About being put underground? Was that where it started? Or did it come before? Were you angry because humans were so much stronger than you, and did it get worse with banishment? Did it fester, like an untreated wound? How else did you end up where we are now?" You turned the sweater over and over in your hands, eyes surprisingly troubled. 

Whether you realized it or not, you had Sans' full attention now. He wasn't sure where this was coming from, but it had peeked his interest. Perhaps, you were finally warming up to the underground. Or maybe you'd always been curious and had just now decided to voice it. The questions surprised him; he'd only faintly wondered the same before, but not enough to dwell on it.

"What would you have been like, if you had been raised by someone different? Would you have been like Helvetica- normal and happy? Or... would you have been the same? In another life, would you have been... more normal? More like a person and less like... everyone else down here?" You were frowning thoughtfully now, eyes slightly unfocused.

Sans focused sharply on you. 

"Sometimes I feel like... You would have been different. Similar, but... better. Something I could have been drawn to. Someone I could have liked. I feel like, in another reality, you and I could have been... friends?" And you finally turned your gaze from the open air to the skeleton beside you, eyes full of a strange yearning and curiosity and helplessness. 

Sans almost didn't hear you say "Is that dumb?" That was the best look you'd ever given him, even if it was when you were looking for something he could never be. He found himself wanting to drown in your gaze, wanting to agree with you, wanting to ask if you weren't already friends, wanting to grab you and pull you close because it almost looked like you might start crying, wanting to hurry up and make you his because that look just reminded him of all the reasons he hadn't given up on you yet.

And then, you were turning away to look up into the black air that swallows up distances, as if the answer was there. "Sorry. That must sound pretty... pretty stupid." You cast a glance in the direction of Helvetica, who was nosing an echo flower as if wondering if it was edible, and he faintly realized you were censoring your language for his sake. 

Sans almost wanted to force you to look at him again, but he knew that would only end badly and for the worse on both parts. 

"Maybe that's why I'm fighting so hard to keep Helvetica away from all... that." You gestured faintly in the direction of Snowdin. "Part of me wonders if you guys really are meant to be so... unhappy, or if it's just been hammered into you over generations and you could shake it off if you taught a new generation to be happy again."

"you sure are hopeful, aren't ya?" He finally said, trying to come across as if he didn't actually care about the conversation in the slightest.

"I guess. There's not much else I can be at this point." And you made a slight face, then stood up and called out to Helvetica. "Come on, buddy, time to go home. Arms up." And you slid the sweater over his head and carefully put his tiny wings through the arm holes, then headed for the hole in the cave wall that acted as a doorway to Snowdin.

You paused beside Sans, looking down at him. 

"You coming, or you gonna loiter here for a while longer?"

All he did was grunt. He saw you shrug out of the corner of his eye, then you walked off, Helvetica close behind you. Helvetica paused beside his shoulder, nosed him briefly, then scampered after you. Sans would never have admitted that he appreciated the affectionate gesture.

Before disappearing through the cave wall, Helvetica looked back and waved a feathery arm at Sans. 

"Bye, San!" 

And then he disappeared after you.

The kid was learning more and more words as time went by, but it seemed he wasn't exactly used to using them yet; he only ever said short sentences or just repeated a single word over and over until someone understood. He liked to say names, Sans had noticed. It was an odd quirk, but perhaps it was just going to be a habit until he learned how to put words together into full sentences.

Sans sat there, staring in the void beneath his feet, for a long time. Perhaps, he was finally making progress with you. He'd hold out for a while longer, wait just a little bit longer for you to come around to him.

After all, hadn't you said you felt you had been friends in another reality as if you were questioning the term? Maybe, in another reality, you had been happy... together, in a relationship. Maybe, you could be in this one, as well.

With a grimace, he smacked himself across the face. What the fuck was wrong with him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to feel free to drop ideas or prompts in the comments! I'd appreciate it! :3


	6. Ill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're ready for thirsty af Sans
> 
> He's salty as the Dead Sea, thirsty as the Sahara desert.

Sans was beginning to hate you.

Well, he hated you before, but now he was beginning to resent the way you made him feel, the things you made him do, the things you drove him to, the things you seemed to purposefully do just to rile him up. A few days had passed since that day in Waterfall, and for whatever reason, you seemed to invade his thoughts whenever he wasn't actively avoiding thinking about you.

A few days ago, he had seen you outside, seemingly teaching Helvetica how to make snowballs. When he'd gone out to investigate, you'd asked him if he could lend a hand. When he did nothing more then raise an eyebrow at you in question, you whispered something to Helvetica, then stood up and suddenly chucked the snowball you had been holding at him, hitting him square between the eyes. 

You had broken into a full-fledged laugh. He had wiped it away with a scowl, ready to give you a taste of your own medicine. Someone nearby- Grillby, Sans learned later- had started laughing as well, and before Sans could retaliate to either offense, you had beaten him to it. With a scowl, you had stooped and formed another snowball, this one knocking Grillby's glasses clear off his face. 

The enraged monster had not reacted quick enough to catch you as you scooped up Helvetica in one arm, racing into Waterfall with the fire monster quite literally hot on your trail. While Sans was not 100% sure why you had 'defended' him, he liked to think it was because you were beginning to see him as another living being rather then a walking, talking bag of shit. It was a nice sign that he was getting somewhere, at least.

He had been keeping a closer eye on you as of recently than as of in the past, both to make sure you weren't getting yourself killed all over again and to keep tract of your comings and goings. He couldn't have you hooking up with some other monster, could he? While he doubted you were that stupid, he wouldn't put it past anyone to lay their hands on you.

"Keeping on tabs you" (clearly not stalking) was wearing him out, however. He hardly got a wink of sleep on normal days, but with this change of routine he just wanted a full night's rest. Was that too much to ask for?

He lay in his bed, drifting in and out of sleep in much the same way a leaf bobbed above and below the water of a pool. Glimpses of dreams flickered behind his eyelids- you, giving him that look that he knew meant you were tired but unable to sleep- those were the moments when you were the most open with him-, his hands reaching for you, the way your eyes gave away everything you wanted but your mouth refused to voice them, the way your hands reached for him in the same way he reached for you-

BANGBANGBANGBANG

Sans promptly fell out of bed, landing on the floor in a heap of sweaty and pissed off bones. He sat up, rubbing at the back of his skull with a grimacing scowl. Whoever had woken him was about to get a taste of bone shards through the skull. He sat up, then struggled to his feet. But then, he didn't even have to go and answer the door. He cast a glance at the messy bed behind him. He could just as easily try to sleep again.

"Sans!!"

Oh, come the fuck on. Why did it have to be you?

More incredibly loud knocking. That must hurt like hell on your tender human hands. "Sans, I know you're in there! Papyrus said you would be! Answer the door! It's important!"

Important his ass. More likely than not, it was some 'prank' for your late-night benefit. He could just as easily ignore you, or teleport somewhere else so he wouldn't have to listen. 

"Sans! Open the fucking door!!"

Huh. You'd been cutting back on all of the cursing as of recently, to the point where any that tried to slip out your mouth were stopped before they were finished. Either you didn't have the kid with you and decided it was okay to curse, or it really was important.

The knocking stopped and there was a pause. Then, a heavier slam was heard- the sound of your shoulder coming in contact with the door in an attempt to break it open. He'd seen you break down a door before- your own, because someone thought it funny to jam your door shut with some unidentified substance. It had taken you a few tries, but you were determined to get inside, even when he was sure your skin had bruised and you started to wince at the contact.

If you were trying to do that now, that meant it was probably very important.

With a tired sigh, he shuffled his way out of his room and down the stairs, not caring that he was just wearing shorts and a rumpled t-shirt. He flung the door open just as you paused in your door attack, clutching your shoulder with a wince. Your head snapped up and you looked relieved for a moment. Then your gaze turned as stone cold as it usually was again.

"Sans, let me in, it's freezing out here."

"give me one good reason." He leaned against the door frame, squinting at you. You had your jacket on awkwardly, arms not in the sleeves, rather holding it in place near your chest. With a glance, he realized Helvetica wasn't with you. Perhaps the kid had gone missing. While he intended on eventually letting you in, that didn't mean he didn't want to make you squirm first.

"I just did!" You snarled, eyes snapping with urgency.

"try again."

You shuffled your feet, looked away briefly, then frowned deeper. "Because I need your help." Just then, a tiny orange snout poked out near your collar, something teal and thin in consistency coating the edges of it's mouth- vomit. "Helvetica needs my help, but I don't know what to do." He noticed you press the small monster closer to your chest and your eyes briefly shone with desperation and perhaps a little fear.

You admitted it as if you hated yourself for needing to depend on others. His gaze flicked down to where the small orange nose had disappeared again, then back up to look you in the eyes. "why should i care if the scrap dies?" He could practically see your mothering instincts rise then, much like when the guard cats got angry and their fur rose in a mane down their neck. Too late, he realized how cold that sounded and how it did nothing to earn him brownie points.

Your eyebrows furrowed in rage, and your lips lifted in a faint snarl. "Because you cared enough about me to save my sorry ass when I was out dying in the snow when I didn't ask for any help, and if you cared about me in the slightest, you'll help me out now that I /am/."

He hated it when you used his own actions against him. He also hated it when you noticed the little things he went out of his way to do for you, though he also hated it when you didn't notice, as well...

Apparently you had taken his pause as a sign of rejection and your expression softened, stone walls falling to reveal a tender interior. "Sans. Please."

That was certainly something you'd never said to him before.

And, as much as he would have loved to heckle you for it, make you squirm, make you say it again until he was satisfied (God knows, he'd wanted to hear it for so long- he'd long since had fantasies of you pleading for your life at his hands, though they'd faded with time. To break someone like you into submission like that would have been achingly satisfying back before he became used to your presence.), he moved aside to let you slip into the dark house, and you brushed past him in haste.

You dropped your coat on the table near the door, hurrying to the couch to lower Helvetica to it gently. He was obviously weak and woozy, head swaying gently side to side even as he lied down, and as Sans watched he suddenly opened his jaws and his whole body gave a heave, as if trying to rid itself of something foul. Nothing but a thin line of drool dripped out from his tiny mouth.

"Do monsters get sick? Is that something that can happen? I know you can die, that's obvious enough, but you don't have blood and inner bodily fluids and the digestive system like I do..." You rambled, kneeling beside the sofa as if it was an alter and you were at prayer. Your gaze found Sans', and he was surprised by how different you suddenly looked- hopeless and alone and scared.

A year ago, it would have been satisfying to look at. Now, it made him feel... odd. Uncomfortable, in a way. Like someone had punched him in the gut.

As for your question, the answer was a bit complicated. Monsters could get 'sick,' yes, but it was caused by something interfering with their magic or soul. Different kinds of 'illnesses' had different roots- persisting headaches and dizziness were often caused by something of a magical wavelength vastly different than your own being around you often enough to manifest in soul disruptions, 'colds' were caused by changes that happened too quickly for one's magic to adjust accordingly, etc. 

"from the looks of it, he ate something that he shouldn't have." Sans made a face, noticing the signs that the kid had long since ran out of anything to vomit. It also looked like he'd vomited on you, judging by the state of your shirt. Also, you were still in your pajamas.

"So... Food poisoning?" You looked like you were prompting him to continue, slightly annoyed. With a roll of his eyes, he made a so-so motion with one hand.

"sometimes kids get into stuff that disagrees with their magic make up, and the first response is to try to get rid of it as quickly as possible, in other words, vomiting. sometimes, your body can keep trying to get rid of it even after its gone, or its passed too far into the system to be gotten rid of that way." 

You ran a finger over Helvetica's crown of feathers as he hiccuped softly, looking worn out and wretched. "So... Like an allergic reaction. Okay. What do we- I- do?" 

"the best thing to do is wait it out." He shrugged, propping himself up on the table, beside your coat.

You grimaced, hands curling. "Isn't there anything we- I can do to make him stop... gagging? I hate just sitting here and doing nothing, which I know must be a foreign concept to you. Just... There must be something we can do. Would water help?"

He sighed, rolling his eye. "if you're that antsy to do something, there might be something we can give him." 

He pushed himself up and headed for the kitchen, leaving you in the dark living room. For a few minutes, he was alone as he scrounged around in drawers, looking for the little bottle he'd gotten for Papyrus when he was just a little twit. Most monster kids went through this at some point; it was like a learning experience. Most kids, however, didn't go through it at such a young age, though that may have been a side effect of Helvetica being raised by a human. Most kids ended up with it as a way of rebelling against their parents and eating the one thing their parents told them not to. 

At least, that's what Papyrus did- he was trying to appear 'cool' in front of his peers by going against his older brother. It was one of the few times he'd actually asked Sans for help, a bittersweet memory.

Suddenly, you were at his shoulder, anxiously watching what he was doing just as he found the little bottle of pills. He rolled his eye, though it was kind of cute to see this side of you for once. Normally, you were so careful about how you appeared in front of anyone, not wanting to come across as soft or easy to use.

"What is that?"

"if you're thinking i'm giving him poison, i wouldn't have let you in if i actually wanted him dead." He snorted out, shooting you a look. "it should help, trust me for once."

"For once?" You snorted right back, giving him a similar look. "Why do you think I came here in the first place?"

"because no one else would help you." He gave you a look as if questioning whether you actually thought he was that gullible.

"Because I knew you of all jerks down here would actually answer the door." You sighed, looking away as you crossed your arms. 

He paused in reaching for a glass, slightly caught off guard. So. You had noticed his tendency to give into you easily. Or at least, you knew you could depend on him out of everyone else down here. That was good. That was good, right?

He tried to play it off like he wasn't slightly glad, filling a glass of water as if he didn't have a care in the world. "because i'm the only one dumb enough to."

"So you admit you're dumb, then?" 

When he turned around again, you were giving him a snarky grin, eyebrows raised as if challenging him. He shot you a glare, but in all honesty he was too tired to put in the effort of bickering with you. 

He dropped the small pill into the glass of water and swirled it around until it had mostly dissolved- while not required, that had been the way he'd given it to Papyrus, since Papyrus had a strong distaste for pills of any size.

"here. that should do the trick. ungrateful brat." He passed it to you, and you slipped out of the room in haste, seemingly disregarding the insult.

When Sans eventually shambled after you, he found you encouraging the hiccuping Helvetica to drink all of it. He was wrinkling his nose in distaste and kept pulling away as if asking if he really had to drink it all, but under your coaxing, he downed it. It seemed you weren't planning on leaving, as you lowered Helvetica's head to a pillow and draped a blanket over him gingerly, petting his head softly until he dozed off.

Even then, you still knelt there beside the couch for a long time. Eventually, you turned to look at Sans, leaning in the kitchen doorframe, over your shoulder.

"You got something I could borrow? I've kind of got monster vomit on this one." You plucked at your shirt, making a face. 

With a roll of his eye, Sans shuffled back upstairs. He scrounged around his room for a while, then came out and tossed a shirt over the banister at you before shuffling back down the stairs to take up his post beside the kitchen again.

You pulled it off your head, then looked it over. You looked up at him with an unamused expression, holding up the article of clothing. "Seriously?"

"take it or leave it. either way, i really couldn't care less." He shrugged as if to prove his point, as if he wasn't actually somewhat eager to see you in his clothes. 

You made a face, but draped it over an arm of the couch, sitting up. To his shock, you pulled your own shirt up over head, leaving your skin to glow in the perpetual half-light that drifted in from the underground outside. He forced himself to look away so as to not make it obvious you could drive him mad. 

You had to be doing this on purpose.

You slipped his shirt over your head a second later, however, and all he really caught was a glimpse of the curve of your side, the shadow of a bruise on your shoulder, the smooth skin of your back, the plain of your stomach before they were covered again. 

His hands subconsciously curled, yearning for a taste of your skin. 

He couldn't help but snicker when you seemed to check how the shirt fit on you. It was at least two sizes too big, baggy and loose, ending just above your knees, making the "BONE ZONE" arrow seemingly point to your feet. You made an expression of distaste, but didn't complain other than a muttered 'Can't even believe skeletons of all things need such big clothes, they're literally just bone.'

You settled back into your previous position a second later, elbows resting on the edge of the couch while you watched Helvetica fuss slightly in his sleep, then relax again. For a while, all he did was stand there, lurking in the kitchen doorway, watching your sides slowly rise and fall under his shirt- when he very well could have been going back to bed. Sure, it was creepy, but at the same time he was too tired to care.

After a long time, when he was sure you had fallen asleep, he scooped up another spare throw blanket and draped it over you haphazardly. He was surprised into freezing when he saw your eyes still half open, still watching the tiny, orange monster sleep quietly. For a second, nothing happened.

"... Thank you, Sans." You breathed out tiredly, eyes still focused on Helvetica.

He didn't respond. He stood there behind you for another second, then turned and trudged up the stairs to see if he could get another few fleeting hours of sleep, without- hopefully with, actually- you invading his dreams.


	7. Ill, part two

Waking the next morning, Sans was surprised to find he did, in fact, sleep. And, even more to his pleased surprise, he had slept in, by a few hours, no less. Normally, Papyrus woke him with threats that, if he didn't get out of bed at that moment, he was going to kill him right then and there. You know, typical brother stuff.

It took him a while to get out of bed regardless. The only thing that sent him sitting up with a groan was the memories of last nights events suddenly playing through his mind. He tugged on his coat half heartedly, wondering if you were still here or if you had long since booked it out of there. He hoped it was the former, both because he wanted to see how the kid had pulled through, and to make sure you wouldn't steal his shirt.

Clearly not because he wanted to see if you cared enough to stick around a little while longer than was necessary.

Trudging down the stairs, he was faintly disappointed to see the couch empty, two blankets laying folded on its arm. So, you had left. At least you had the decency to tidy up a little.

Upon entering the kitchen, he discovered he was wrong.

Helvetica was sitting at the dining table, absently patting the wood surface in an odd rhythm, as if testing how it sounded. He was bright eyed and bushy tailed as ever, seemingly better. An empty glass sat beside him, a puddle of water at the bottom. A variety of items lay on the countertop- milk, ice cream, chocolate syrup- while you scrounged through the cabinets, shoving stuff aside as if looking for something. You were still in his shirt. After a moment, you paused to put your hands on your back and stretch outward, wincing as if sleeping in a hunched-over position had left you with a crick in your spine.

Damn. That was a sight he could get used to- you, in his kitchen, relaxed from sleep and still in his clothes. His tongue subconsciously flicked out and grazed his teeth at the sight of the smooth curve of you neck, plain for all to see when you rolled your head back. He could practically feel the pulse of your heart beat beneath his teeth.

Before he could sneak up on you and give you a scare, Helvetica looked up and spotted him. His expression brightened, his frill of feathers lifting as his eyes blinked into focus.

"San!" He called happily, patting the counter top excitedly. "San! San!"

Sans shuffled out of the kitchen doorway as you turned, looking faintly surprised. "Morning, bone head. Or, almost afternoon, I suppose."

Ah, yes. In place of 'fuck face,' 'shit head,' and 'bone bastard,' you'd started calling him bone head. He was rather proud of the pun-like insult, to be frank. It was a sign he was rubbing off on you.

"Whatever you gave Helvetica seemed to do the trick. He woke me a little while ago, saying he was hungry." You turned back to the cabinets, voice muffled by the door now separating you from Sans. "Also, I'm expecting a thank you, since Papyrus came by earlier to wake you up and I fended him off by telling him I would do it. When he finds out I didn't, I might as well be done for. Or at least my ears will be."

Well, that explained a lot. Also, that was... surprisingly kind of you. Maybe it was a small way of paying him back for helping you out. Maybe it was more. He liked the idea of the latter more.

Suddenly, you closed the cabinet with a huff. "Don't you guys have a blender around here?"

Sans paused beside the dining table, lifting a hand to ruffle Helvetica's crest. The orange monster squeaked and ducked away in response, still smiling. "why?" He begrudgingly sat at the table, since coming up behind you to breathe on your neck would have been suspicious more than scary now that his cover was blown.

"I want to make Helvetica a milkshake, since it's something sweet and it's easy on the stomach. Do you have one or not?"

Whatever the fuck a milkshake was. You gave him a half hearted glare, crossing your arms as you leaned against the counter. He rolled his eye, but waved a hand, the blender soon at your elbow. 

"Thanks." You pulled it close to you, unwinding the cord from around the base. 

He was faintly surprised. The first time you'd ever said 'thank you' to him was last night, when it was late and your mind was wrung dry with worry. He could get used to it, if it was going to be a thing from now on.

"Oh, gross." You made a face, running a finger inside and coming up with dust. "Don't you guys ever wash anything around here? Like, I know you don't shower as regularly as a guy as sweaty as you should, but this is just ridiculous." You wet a towel and made quick work of the unused machine.

He scowled, though he made a mental note to take a shower later. "hey, you could always go home and use your own."

"No, I couldn't, smart aleck. I don't even have one. Ever since Asgore actually passed that 'human tax', which is... speciesist? Speciesist as anything, by the way, I can hardly afford the necessities of life." You snorted out, picking up the carton of chocolate ice cream and popping it open. Huh. He didn't even know they had ice cream.

"how do you make money in the first place?" It was something he'd wondered for a while, but whenever he thought to ask, you were pissed off and leaving by the time he opened his mouth.

"Sorry, pal, that's classified. I've signed a contract that says if I give away the identity of my employer, he has the right to hunt me down and kill me." You rolled your eyes even as you said it, scooping several large spoonfuls of ice cream into the blender. Soon followed some milk, then a tooth-rotting amount of chocolate syrup. 

He came to the conclusion that it was Grillby that hired you. You had proved to make quick work of most messes in the past, and Grillby didn't want to dirty his hands with such things. He made a mental note to check and see how your relations were with the fire monster, since he was known to get handsy with whoever he felt like. 

And Sans couldn't have that, could he?

You put the ice cream back in the freezer, and the milk soon returned to its spot as well. You dusted off your hands, then turned to Helvetica. "Cover your ears, buddy. This is probably going to be loud."

It was. Despite following your instructions, Helvetica winced when you turned the blender on. Sans cringed at the sound of the old thing whirring back to life after God knows how long of not being used. 

A few minutes later, you turned it off and pulled out two large glasses, then a third. You filled them all, dropped straws inside, then sat at the dining table (close enough for Sans to touch you, considering the table was small), pushing one in front of Helvetica. When you caught Sans' eye, you surprised him by sliding the third glass his way.

"Try it." 

Then, you broke eye contact and focused on Helvetica as you stirred your own slowly with your straw. Helvetica was eagerly attempting to get a taste, having to stand on the chair in order to reach the straw. You chuckled at him when he gave up on sucking on the straw and instead tried to slurp it up with his tongue. 

Sans hesitated, but, using his thumb to keep the straw out of the way, raised the glass and tipped it back to let the thick liquid inside fall into his mouth. It was very... sweet. Very cold, as well. He wasn't sure what to make of it. He lowered the glass after a moment, watching it slosh slowly against the glass.

"It's something my parents used to do for me, I think. When I got sick and they had to take me to the doctor, I mean. Sort of like 'here, since you feel like garbage, here's something to make up for it. Thanks for not biting the doctor,' or something." You gave your glass a thoughtful look, as if pondering whether the memory was actually yours.

You never talked about your life before very much. Sans had long since figured you either didn't remember much or didn't want to. Hell, he couldn't blame you, if he could forget his younger years, he would.

"How is it, Vet?" You asked, giving said monster a pleased smile.

Helvetica, practically tipping the glass over in an attempt to get at the milkshake inside, wagged his tail vigorously in response.

"Thought so." You chuckled, pausing in your stirring to attempt to use your own straw.

Apparently, it was futile, because you pulled away a second later and made a face at the thick substance in your glass. You pulled your straw up and out, gaze flickering over the liquid still sticking to it even when you lifted it clear of the glass. A few globs slid slowly off, landing back in the glass with a faint sound. 

Sans froze when you leaned forward a little, running your tongue up the length of the straw, collecting the pale milkshake on your tongue as it went up. You drew it into your mouth, seemed to contemplate it, then gave a hum of approval and did it again.

You _had ___to be doing this on purpose. His grip on his own glass tightened, and he forced himself to relax slightly only after he heard the distinctive sound of crackling glass.

You caught him staring at you as you were on your last bit. Your eyes locked with his and he forced himself to keep a straight face, but it was hard when you blinked at him almost questioningly. 

You pulled away from your drink, lowering the straw back into the glass, and gave him a look through squinted eyes. "What? Do I have something on my face or something? What's with the look?" 

He forced himself to look away, growling faintly under his breath. He hated it when you played dumb, especially when you were so obviously making him riled up. "no." 

You snorted. "If I learn later that I had something on my face this whole time and you never bothered to tell me about it, don't plan on getting any peace for the next two weeks." 

And you picked up your glass and tipped it back, and he discreetly watched the movements of your throat as you swallowed. 

For a little while, you sat in silence, the only noise being Helvetica's hums as he successfully got little tastes of the milkshake. Sans eventually noticed you looking at him, and instantly felt his suspicions rise. 

"what?" He grunted out, narrowing his eye sockets at you. 

You propped an elbow up on the table, seemingly studying him. "Is that tooth solid gold or is it just a cap or what?" 

Well, that caught him off guard. You'd never inquired anything about him before, but teeth? Really? 

"why?" He quirked an eyebrow at you, faintly confused. 

"I think I knew someone who had a gold cap on one of their teeth and it was pretty bad. They conduct hot and cold really well, so they could never eat anything too hot or cold on that half of their mouth. I mean, isn't it uncomfortable, considering you live in literally the coldest place in the underground? I mean, I know you're a skeleton and you don't feel like I do, but... Isn't it the slightest bit uncomfortable?" 

You absently reached out with a hand, thumb grazing over his gold canine as if you were lost in thought. He lost focus then, his attention drawn to the way he could feel your body heat with your hand so close to his face- while it was true that skeletons weren't bothered by changes in temperature, at least not in the traditional human way, they could most certainly feel it. And feeling your body heat so very close to his face was very distracting. 

He could even smell your soft human scent, coming off your skin almost tauntingly. To think you had reached out and touched him of your own free will... You were so close. He could practically taste you. 

On that thought, he subconsciously flicked out his tongue and ran it against your thumb. 

You recoiled faster then if you'd been bitten by a snake, eyes wide with sudden disgust and indignation. You hastily wiped your thumb off on his shirt, giving him a thoroughly grossed out look. 

"Did you seriously just... lick me?" 

He opted not to answer. You wrinkled your nose. 

"You sure are immature, aren't you?" You huffed, rolling your eyes. 

"you sure like to stick your hands in people's faces, don't you?" He snapped right back, though he omitted the part about how he actually liked it. 

You snorted, rolling your eyes again, but said nothing more. 

Before he knew what was happening, both you and Helvetica had finished and you were at the sink, rinsing and washing out both glasses. You cast a glance at him from over your shoulder. 

"You gonna finish that or what? If you don't like it, you might as well say so." 

Sans realized he hadn't touched his own drink in quite some time. He downed it in one go, then Helvetica came up and reached for the glass. Sans confusedly passed it to the kid, then watched him scamper back to you with it. Huh. Part of him wondered if you'd trained him to do that. 

You gave the kid a smile, lifting the glass from his tiny, extended hands. "Why, thank you. Come on, bone head, what did you think? Has that hamster running around inside your skull finally died?" 

Sans scowled half heartedly, but mulled over the weird, sickeningly sweet concoction. "... ain't bad." 

"Well, I'm glad it's gotten the Sans-the-really-disgusting-skeleton seal of approval." You snorted out, soon placing the glass upside down on a hand towel nearby to dry. You brushed your hands off on your pajama pants, then planted them on your hips. "Welp. You ready to go home, Vet?" 

Helvetica danced around your legs happily, butting his head against your shins softly. You chuckled. 

"I guess that's a yes. Thanks for the help, Sans. I'll see ya." 

And with that, you walked past him into the living room. He turned to watch you tug your shoes on, the slip your coat on before scooping up both your vomit-covered shirt and Helvetica. You headed out the door without so much as a wave or glance back, leaving Sans sitting in a suddenly very empty house. 

He really had to get his feelings for you under control. 


	8. Babysitting

Sans knew humans were easy to hurt. Easy to kill. After all, he'd practiced on dozens upon dozens of unsuspecting, unprepared twerps for god knows how long. He knew better than anyone in the underground that humans were by far the easiest things to kill this side of the barrier, especially when you were aiming to stretch your magic skills a bit.

He'd never seen you wounded by more than a shallow cut or scrape, a burn or slicing shard of bone as you 'battled' the various monsters of the underground. The closest he'd come to seeing you mortally wounded was when he first encountered you, and he only realized it after he'd let you go, and the only give away was the way you limped in one leg as you walked away. Apparently, in dodging one of his attacks, shards of bone coming in sharp succession had managed to graze one of your legs. Even today, at times he thought he saw you limp when conditions were extreme or you had exerted yourself. 

Each time he noticed, he felt vaguely bad about it; he could have very well crippled you for life, let alone taken your life that day. And what good would that have brought? Not just a useless, dead human, but a dead monster, as well.

He was beginning to feel vaguely concerned about Helvetica's growth; while he seemed perfectly healthy and energetic and all the things a kid was supposed to be, he'd yet to show any sign of magic. No glowing eyes, no sparks of energy gone haywire, no conjured items or glowing palms, despite that he was nearing six months of age. He was small, too. Most monster kids were at least a head or so taller than him, but then, it was still to early to say if he was just going to end up being a short kind of monster. Sans supposed, in the kid's defense, that he was both a fast learner and quick thinker, which would work him in good stead in the future, if he was ever to face up against an aggressor.

However, it was the magic part that stirred concern in Sans the most.

He tried to reason it out. While most monster kids were encouraged to find their magic abilities as soon as possible so as to master it for 'the cause,' no such encouragement existed for Helvetica. Being raised by a human- a human who'd seen nothing but potential death in magic, no less- meant he hadn't even tried to tap into his potential. He'd seen Sans and Papyrus perform small feats of magic before, but seemed to accept it as a quirk of their character, though something about the way he watched made Sans wonder if he was pondering whether he would do the same one day.

God knows. Most monster kids inherited a few traits from their parents, but with no clue as to where Helvetica came from other than 'somewhere within the vicinity of Waterfall,' it was impossible to say what his potential powers could be. For all Sans knew, he might have none. 

What an odd thought. He could do no more than wait to see how things played out.

Sitting at his post as he usually did, Sans found himself waiting for you to appear from up the path to Snowdin; ever since he'd helped you that night when Helvetica was ill, you'd been regarding him as, what he could only assume was, a friend. You'd come by his post to chat a little, sitting on the counter as Helvetica either toyed with whatever he found lying around or played in the snow, throwing up sprays of it as he jumped into drifts, then came out dusted in white. 

It was nice.

However, today you were running late. He wondered if maybe you'd grown bored of the routine and felt faintly annoyed. Were you _trying _to be a tease? Giving him a taste of what it would be like to have you treat him like an actual living thing, then pulling away all over again? He tried to assure himself that wasn't the case, but if it was, he'd be pissed.__

__He was grumpily dozing, slouched over the counter of his post, when a faint movement up the path brought him to his senses. He raised his head almost hopefully, peering to see if it was you or just some random prick coming to annoy him._ _

__At first, he couldn't recognize the shape, but a second later Hekvetica was skidding to a stop in front of his post, wings flapping frantically as he struggled to keep his balance. Sans raised an eyebrow, chuckling as Helvetica shook a spray of snow off his head._ _

__"eesh, kid. where's the fire?"_ _

__Helvetica whipped around and scrabbled his claws at the edge of the counter, claws leaving tiny grooves behind. "San! San!"_ _

__"yeah, i get it, you're happy to see me. what's up?" Sans leaned over the counter a little, taking a look at the kid. He looked... odd, he realized. His frill of feathers was flattened against his head and his normally smiling jaws were gritting their tiny teeth in some form of worry. You had yet to appear. "where's your human at, eh, pal? just you today or what?"_ _

__Relief seemed to flood Helvetica's face as Sans said your name, seemingly thinking he understood. "Yes! Y/N! San! Now!" He gave a few small hops as if aiming to get on the counter, then pulled away and paced in a circle._ _

__"what? what about 'em?" Sans scratched at his cheek, confusion creeping up his spine._ _

__He jolted backwards in surprise when Helvetica suddenly picked up speed and launched himself on top of the counter, flapping his wings to regain his balance._ _

__"eesh, watch it, kid." He shuffled backwards slightly to avoid getting hit in the face, eyebrows furrowing._ _

__"San!" Helvetica stamped his feet, looked around, then surprised Sans further by lunging forward and fixing his teeth into the sleeve of his jacket and tugging on it insistently, feet scrabbling against the wooden countertop._ _

__"hey, watch it!" Sans yanked his sleeve away, scowling at the kid. "what do you want?"_ _

__Helvetica stamped his feet, looking frustrated, then shook his head violently as if angry that he didn't know what to say. "San! Please! ... Y/N. Hurt?" His hands worked at the front of his sweater and he looked almost desperate for Sans to understand._ _

__"they're hurt?"_ _

__"Yes!" Relief flooded Helvetica's eyes and he launched himself off the post, dashed shortly up the path, then stopped and looked back._ _

__Sans didn't need to be prompted twice._ _

__Helvetica led him further up the path than he expected- by the time splashes of snow stained red began to appear, they were closer to Snowdin than his post. The red splattered snow became visible long before the smell of iron crept into his senses._ _

__Human blood. He'd recognize it anywhere. He picked up his pace._ _

__He found you just off the path, back up against a tree, hunched over with a grimace on your face. Your skin was pale and sweat glistened on your brow despite the cold. Your hands were clutched tightly against your side, where red glistened as it slid through your fingers._ _

__Helvetica raced up to you, nuzzling your side worriedly, then casting a glance at Sans. You cracked your eyes open, looking at Helvetica, then looking up at Sans. You grit your teeth. "Ah. Wondered where he went to. Smart kid."_ _

__Sans was at your side in an instant, pulling your hands away from your side and rolling up your shirt to get a look at whatever injury marred your skin. He winced when he saw the clean slit in your side, like a smile that drooled blood. It was only a few inches long, and not very deep, but it was hard to know if it was fatal._ _

__"the hell happened?"_ _

__"Language." You took a few breaths, wincing when the wound shifted with the movement. "Some guard cats were... messing around. Weren't watching what they were doing. Accident, that's all."_ _

__"accident my ass." He scowled, wanting to probe at the wound but afraid of causing you further harm._ _

__"Language." You shot him a look through squinted eyes. "It'll be fine. Just gotta keep pressure on it until Mett can stitch it up."_ _

__" _Mettaton? _you're thinking of asking that hunk of spare parts for help with something like this?" He scowled at you, appalled at even the suggestion that Mettaton could help you better than he could.___ _

____"Whether you like him or not, he's got deft hands, Sans. Use your head. He's got practice in stitching. No one else around here that tolerates me does. I bet you can't even thread a needle." You chuckled at your own joke, but broke off when your side flashed with white hot pain at the movement._ _ _ _

____Sans hated it when you were right. His hands curled into fists. "... what _can _i do?"___ _ _ _

______You seemed to contemplate it for a moment, then your expression relaxed slightly. "Ah, yes, that's perfect. You can get me to hotland in a snap. Think you can do that for me?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"fine. how should i...?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Get on my other side and help me up."_ _ _ _ _ _

______He shuffled over to your untouched side, Helvetica scuttling away to make room. Your threw an arm around his neck and your head was bumping his shoulder as he helped you to your feet. He put a hand near your hip to keep you steady, other clasping over yours on his shoulder to make sure you didn't slip away. He felt color faintly rise to his cheekbones at finally holding you so close, but crushed it down sharply. Now wasn't the time._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Wait. Helvetica, c'mere."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Helvetica, sensing the change in the air, quickly wound himself around Sans' leg in an attempt to not be left behind. A second later, and he was pulling away to shake the dizziness from his head as Hotland unfolded around you._ _ _ _ _ _

______Sans felt you twitch against his side, and saw you screw up your face worse than before._ _ _ _ _ _

______"ya alright?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Yes. Or I will be. Just hurry up and get me to Alphys'." You panted out._ _ _ _ _ _

______Awkwardly, he shuffled you gently across the red soil the short distance to Alphys' lab. Helvetica wound worriedly in circles around and behind the entire time, keeping well out of the way but still briefly touching both your own and Sans' legs with his snout as if to be encouraging._ _ _ _ _ _

______It was Sans who had to knock, and he gently let you go as you clutched at the doorframe. It took a few tries, with his knocks getting increasingly loud and angry, but the door slid open to reveal a peeved Alphys, Mettaton standing idly a few feet behind. Her expression turned to one of horror at the sight of your blood trickling down your side._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Oh my god...!" She breathed out, recoiling sharply away. "Your DT-! I didn't know you could-!" She broke off, hands flying to her snout as she stared at you as if you had been decapitated._ _ _ _ _ _

______You peered at her confusedly. "Alphys, chill. I'm fine. It's just a flesh wound, seriously. I haven't even lost all that much blood. I just need some stitches and I'll be fine." You apparently caught Mettaton's eye, because he nodded slightly and swooped forward to help you inside. "Hey, wait a second."_ _ _ _ _ _

______You paused to turn and look at Sans, standing awkwardly outside with Helvetica at his side. He raised an eyebrow at you as if even having your eyes on him was annoying to no end._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Can you take Vet back to Snowdin for me? I don't want him being there and seeing how messed up I can get."_ _ _ _ _ _

______He rolled his eye, sighing, but nodded discreetly._ _ _ _ _ _

______You snapped your fingers at Helvetica, getting his attention. "Vet. Listen to me. I know you're worried, but I'll be alright, okay? I'll be back in a few. I promise."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Helvetica made a face, but quickly ran up and buried his face into your pant leg briefly, then hurried back to Sans' side. Sans absently lowered a hand and ruffled his crest in a vague reassurance._ _ _ _ _ _

______You gave him a small smile, then turned back to Mettaton, giving him a brief run down on what you would need. Alphys was still clutching her hands to her mouth, looking at you as if you were straight out of a horror movie._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Back at his post, Sans was still peeved that your first instinct was to go to Mettaton. Of all monsters! _That guy! _Seriously? Why?!___ _ _ _ _ _

________Okay, he knew why, but that didn't mean he was happy about it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Helvetica was sitting at his elbow on the countertop, swinging his feet nervously. He gazed off into space for a while, then suddenly Sans was aware of being stared at. He slid his eye up to look at the kid, squinting slightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"what?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Helvetica touched his nose to Sans' arm, and Sans realized it was like his way of saying 'thank you.' Then Helvetica tilted his head at him. "... Human?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"they'll be back in a bit. make yourself comfortable."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Sans tried to go back to his brooding, but suddenly the kid sat up and leaned over, using two claws to scratch across the wood one way, then the other. Sans narrowed his eye at him. He could get in trouble for defacing military property._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"what are you doing, kid?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________But Helvetica has already jumped off the post and down into the snow. He scuttled back and forth a moment, then came back and gently put an acorn beside Sans' elbow, then went back to panning back and forth. He did this quite a few times, then started coming back with small pebbles, all the same color._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________When there were eight of each, he came back and jumped back up. Sans raised an eyebrow at him, thoroughly confused. He smiled at him, tilting his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Tic-toe?" He clapped his hands hopefully, then reached forward and pushed the acorns toward Sans._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"uh-uh, pal." Sans quickly snatched the small stones up, setting them in a pile at his side. "only way I play is if i get my own pick."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Helvetica clapped, giving Sans a happy grin. Sans returned it, if not quite as enthusiastically._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Sans claimed the center spot first. Helvetica took a corner. Sans took an edge. Helvetica blocked him. This went on for a while, ending mostly in draws, Sans winning a handful, Helvetica a few others. Sans was impressed by the kids tactics, in a strange way. He had to admit he was fairly smart._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Eventually, it became boring. Helvetica broadened the grid, and they continued for a little while after that. Helvetica grew bored, however, and soon gave up on the simple game. He started tapping out simple rhythms on the wooden counter, humming in time to them. Sans soon realized they were the same melodies you hummed when you thought no one was listening- songs from the surface, he thought._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Eventually, Sans dug out an old pad of paper and pencil for Helvetica to mess around with. Helvetica seemed pleased with the gifts, humming out a 'Thank, San!' before scooping them in his hands. It was almost comical, since both the notepad and pencil were a bit big for him, but he seemed to manage it well._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________For a while, Sans watched him in silence. As Helvetica got thoroughly wrapped up in whatever he was doing, sticking out his tongue slightly, Sans felt curiosity rise in him and he leaned closer, trying to catch a glimpse._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"whatcha doing there, buddy?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Helvetica blinked, then turned the notepad around with a smile. "San!" He chirped, wagging his tail._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It was a compilation of doodles, simple but easy recognized. An echo flower, the royal insignia, a few simple shots of various monsters, one of you, and, surprisingly, one of Sans. They were crude and very, very simple, but not bad at the same time. There was a charm to it, and Sans found himself flattered._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He reached out and ruffled Helvetica's crown of feathers. "heh. not bad, kid."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Helvetica squeaked and ducked away, but clasped Sans' large hand in his own tiny ones, giving Sans a big smile. He brought Sans closer to his head and nuzzled his nose to it affectionately, and Sans found himself smiling fondly at the little scrap of feathers. What could he say? The kid's smile was contagious._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________After a while, you appeared, coming slowly up the path, stiff and awkward. You showed Sans where you side was thickly wrapped in clean, white bandages, telling him about how Alphys was kind enough to give you something to numb your side while Mettaton tended to it, asking if Helvetica had behaved himself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"kid was fine. bit annoying when he got bored, but easily entertained." He gave Helvetica a small grin, ruffling his feathers again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Helvetica chirped happily, running up to bury his head in your chest and put his hands on your arms in some form of hug. You had laughed, patting his back soothingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Thank you, Sans, for keeping an eye on him for me. And helping me to Hotland. Appreciate it."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"no problem." It slipped before he could tell himself to be annoyed and he averted his gaze when you blinked in surprise. He caught your vaguely fond smile out of the corner of his eye._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I'll have to see if I can get you to babysit him more often. It seems to be good both of you."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________With a chuckle, you patted the top of his head, scooped up Helvetica and headed for Snowdin, waving a hand over your shoulder. He couldn't help but smile after you, chuckling to himself as he watched you walk away, Helvetica on your shoulders._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this like five times kill me
> 
> Sorry if it's bad lmao


	9. This place gets to you

Time slowly passed. A month or so ticked past. Sans' relationship with you steadily got better, though you were still... cold. Distant, in a way. Harsh. Bitter. He'd always known you to be careful about just how much you let everyone in this place see, but he also knew that, like all humans, on the inside you were soft and tender. Emotional, rather than pissed off. Caring, rather than careless. 

He wondered, somewhere in the back of his mind, if bottling everything up inside you like that would have any bad side effects. When he did it, he ended up with depression and an anxiety problem. You never showed any signs of those things besides the late nights he found you wandering through town, in the direction of the ruins.

But then, he hadn't exactly been looking, had he? He'd been more focused on pissing you off to make sure you didn't notice the way he acted around you. Still, the thought of you having troubles the same as his own was... odd. You seemed so strong at times. Determined, even, not to let anyone get the best of you.

Wandering through Snowdin one evening, Sans paused outside your home. Just a moment before, he'd thought he heard a crash from inside. He wondered if some monster had decided to try and take you by surprise in your own home. His protective side flared up within him.

Your door was open, but he couldn't see any signs of life in the living room or kitchen. He'd never been farther than that, but he had a feeling he knew which room you might be in. You'd often come and gone from the room whenever he decided to randomly show up, but you had hit him with a broom the one time he decided to try and go inside. 

The door was already cracked, so all he had to do was push it gently open. He paused in the doorway.

It was like that time he'd caught you in his garage, the walls covered in paintings of things he didn't recognize. No, that wasn't true. A handful were of things in the underground, the glowing pools of Waterfall, the snow frosted trees of Snowdin, the red crags of Hotland. A large one, taking up the majority of one wall, was of what he could only assume was Mount Ebott, glowing gold against a tawny background. On a wall to his left were a handful of paintings obviously done by Helvetica, mostly of monsters he knew, as well as quite a few tic-tac-toe games.

He found you slouched against a wall far to his right, arms holding you up as they smudged wet paint around. It looked like the wall was normally covered with a sheet, probably away from Helvetica's curious eyes. The wall was covered in what could only be crudely simplified humans, several of them, a few features distinguishing them from each other. Names were scrawled beside them, a few scratched out to be replaced by different ones. Words and phrases littered any free space around them. Tiny, colored hearts hovered above their chests, all different shades of different hues.

It was almost like you were trying to remember.

As he took a few steps into the mosaic of colors, he discovered what had made the noise he'd heard. A bucket, previously holding various paint brushes and knives, had seemingly been thrown against a far wall, judging by the water splattered across it. It made a loud noise when his foot bumped into it.

Your head snapped up and you jerked around, hands raising half way up in a defensive position. You were breathing heavily, face flushed while your hands curled into white knuckled fists. Your eyes were flaring with anguish and rage and desperation and your lips pulled back into a snarl as you scowled at him. He didn't think he'd ever seen you feel so much so openly.

"Get out of here, Sans!" You spat out, shoulders rising.

He didn't move. He just stood there, watching you.

"What, come here to kick me while I'm down?! What do you want?!" You raised your voice, chest rising and falling heavily under your paint-stained shirt.

He didn't say anything. What could he say that wouldn't make it worse?

"Leave me be, Sans!" You raised an arm sharply, advancing with the obvious intent on using the blunt painting knife in your hand as a weapon. 

He caught your wrist when you made a slash at him with it, holding it tightly enough so that you couldn't get away but not enough to hurt. Your face contorted, and this close he could practically see the fire roaring inside your head. 

He didn't let go. You didn't say anything, just scowled at him as if that would cow him and make him back down. For a long time, nothing happened. He noticed your breathing slowly change from even to ragged and fast, your shoulders gradually fall, your arm in his grip go slack, the metal knife clattering to the floor. Your expression melted from fury and outrage to a grimace of self loathing and pain. Tears glistened on your eyelids, then spilled over your paint-smeared cheeks. Your head fell, hair falling to hide your face from view as quiet sobs broke out from your mouth and your shoulders sagged, shaking with quiet cries.

After a moment, you fell to the floor as if your legs simply couldn't hold you anymore. He held your wrist for a moment longer, then let it go. It fell heavily to your side. You sat there on the floor, crying like a lost little child.

He grimaced down at you, feeling as if someone had wrapped a hand around his soul and squeezed.

He knew how you must be feeling. After all, it seemed he wasn't the only one in the underground with depression and bottled up emotions. He felt awful for not realizing you had problems before. Had he known, he could have... 

He didn't know what to do. He racked his mind, trying to recall what he wanted when he was having an episode of his own. His first instinct would to be alone, to isolate himself so he could wreak havoc on anything around him and cry and take out his anger on unsuspecting trees or boulders. When that was over, he'd turn in on himself and want nothing more than...

He lowered himself to the floor in front of you, then tugged you into his chest and laid his arms around you. Your head fell forward and rested on his collarbone, your tears falling to find a home on his jacket. You laid limp against him, arms still loose at your sides, not reaching up to pull him closer. You fit well against him. While you were roughly the same height, he was naturally broader than you and you rested comfortably against his ribcage. Your smaller frame almost disappeared as his arms closed around you. 

He could feel your breathing, your shuddering gasps through your tears, your shoulders shaking with quiet sobs, your heartbeat loud against your skin. He drew a deep breath of his own, head resting lightly on your own. He noticed your hands twitch against the floor and wondered if you were battling against shoving him away or pulling him closer. 

For a long time, nothing happened. Slowly, gradually, your tears slowed and your breathing became even. Even a long time after you had stopped crying, you made no move to get up. Part of him was glad. He liked the feeling of your warmth against him, you practically in his lap, his arms around you.

However, you drew away after a few moments, scooting back a little to raise your knees and wrap your arms around them, not meeting his gaze. He stayed where he was.

"... Thanks." You eventually whispered out. 

He couldn't think of anything to say in response and opted for silence.

For a long time, it was quiet again.

"... where's the kid?" 

"Playing with a friend from Waterfall. The kid with no arms? That one." 

Ah. Made sense, in a way, that you should let it all out when Helvetica wasn't around to freak out about it. 

He watched you twist your head around to stare at the wall behind you, eyes crawling across the multiple drawings of humans. "It's been two years. Two years, and I still can't remember a thing."

Ah. So he was right. Those must be people from the surface, then. He could understand your frustration. Living for two years in hell with nothing your own except your name must have been hard, he realized. He'd never thought of it that way. 

You wiped at your cheeks with the back of your hand, smudging tears and paint. "So. Ah. Wanna... stay for dinner? We can... get take out." 

He realized it was like a small way of thanking him without having to repeat yourself. "sure."

Eventually, you got up and pulled the sheet back over the wall behind you. Helvetica arrived at the door just as you were leading Sans out of the room, seeming concerned at the redness of your eyes and your obvious fatigue. You scooped him up and nuzzled the top of his head, assuring him you were alright. He didn't look convinced, but he nuzzled you back without asking about it further.

After getting food from Grillby's, everyone settled on the couch, you with Helvetica snoozing happily on your lap, Sans with an arm behind your head, almost tempted to drape it over your shoulders. You were slowly running a hand from the back of Helvetica's head to his lower back, again and again, almost dozing in the dim light of the lamp beside you.

"Thank you, Sans. For... that. It's been a while since anyone actually... you know. Helped me out." You whispered, very quiet in the silence surrounding you.

"don't worry about it." He said, just as quietly.

"You ever need anything, come find me. Okay?" You turned your head a little to look at him, eyes hazy with fatigue, but soft and gentle all the same. 

He looked away, scratching at his cheekbone in an attempt to hide how flustered he suddenly was. "sure. whatever."

Eventually, you dozed off, right there on the couch. Sans stood up, stretched, then lifted Helvetica gently from your lap. He placed him gently around his neck, then used his now free hands to lower you into a lying position and drape a blanket over you before lowering Helvetica back to your side. The small monster woke briefly, hummed at Sans, then nestled closer to you, tail over his nose.

Sans paused a moment, contemplating your sleeping form for a moment, then he was gone in a blink as the smell of ozone tainted the air.


	10. He should know

Sans had episodes of his own. 

It wasn't exactly a secret or hard to figure out. He looked like a grinning, sweaty, menacing mess 99% of the time. He was fairly sure a large number of monsters already knew, but had never encountered him during one or lived to tell about it. And for good reason; if anyone down here knew he had weak points or how to exploit them, he would be done for. 

He'd been careful not to let you find out in the two years you'd been underground, thoroughly convinced you would either take advantage of it or tell the town out of spite because he had thoroughly convinced himself you despised him. While that had recently proven to be untrue, it was also true that ever since he started spending more time around you and Helvetica he had not been feeling quite so... hopeless.

Still, this place sometimes got the better of him.

It ended up happening when he woke one morning and laid awake in bed, when suddenly a thought occurred to him: One day, you were bound to die or be killed, and the world would reset and he would be alone all over again. No sense of everything being alright. No Helvetica. No you. 

The thought curdled in his chest and wrapped itself around his soul, cold and bitter. He hated the idea of losing you. You were the reason he kept kicking these days, you and Helvetica both. You made him feel okay. You mattered. Nothing else in this hellhole did.

He couldn't stop himself from brooding about it for days. Every time he wasn't distracted, there it was, invading his skull and shutting out his other thoughts. It ate away at him, inside to out. He didn't know if you noticed. Probably not, considering he did his best to cover it up whenever you or Helvetica were around. 

One day, though, he just wanted to give in to the part of his mind screaming at him to let it out.

So he did. He didn't even bother to sit inside his post, instead just sitting against the front of it, hunched in on himself with his hood drawn up. No one would come to bother him. No one ever did. 

He scowled down at the snow just beyond the end of his sneakers as his fingers dug into the bones of his arms, darkness tumbling around inside his skull and making his nonexistent stomach clench. He wanted the thoughts inside his head to shut up. He wanted to take it out on something. He wanted to just sit there and be furious at the world for making him the one bastard in this place that remembered whenever it all went back to square one. 

He didn't want to lose you.

A sound from up the path, the crunching of snow beneath shoes, drew him sharply out of his thoughts and to the present just as he was aware of tears rolling down his cheeks. He didn't move from his spot, hoping whoever the fuck it was would go away and leave him in peace.

"Sans?" 

Panic flared in his chest and his head snapped up, eyes meeting your own. You were several yards down the path, Helvetica at your knees. You looked confused more then concerned, but hopefully you were too far away to see his tears. So long as he could keep it that way, everything could work out. He didn't want you to think of him as some pathetic monster that went and wept in the woods where no one could see.

He shoved himself to his feet, keeping his hood up so you wouldn't see his eyes. "what do you want?" He snarled out, hoping you would take the hint and leave. You didn't.

"Yo, what's up? You alright?" You gave him a look that almost made him think you were concerned, taking a few steps closer.

He backed away a little, snarling and raising his shoulders in an attempt to look bigger. You paused, using a foot to push Helvetica back slightly. "just leave me be, will you? is it a game you do, going around annoying and pissing monsters off? i'm not playing anymore. get out of here before i paint the trees with your blood."

You stayed where you were, seemingly studying him. Then, you slowly began approaching him, step by deliberate step.

Shit. He growled in his throat, glaring daggers at you. "what, you think you can take on the big, bad skeleton while he vulnerable? i can still cut you into a thousand slivers of pathetic human flesh. you really wanna try?" And he grinned menacingly at you, raising a hand as the smell of ozone filled the air.

Above his head materialized a Gaster Blaster. You lifted your eyes to look at it, faltered slightly, but continued all the same, eyes now focused determinedly on his. Your expression was impossible to read through his furious tears.

"you really think you're calling my bluff?" He laughed harshly. "you think you're gonna look real clever when your guts are hanging from the trees behind you?"

Above his head, the Gaster Blaster hummed into life, jaws slowly, gradually opening to reveal the whirring energy inside. You kept coming closer, eyes steadily holding his.

"you want to test me? is that it? you're real fucking stupid, even for a human."

He stepped back a few feet as you came ever closer, hood falling from his skull. His hands began to shake. He really didn't want to kill you. He just wanted you to go away. He just wanted you to see him as stronger than this. "go away already! can't you take a fucking hint?! just get out of here!"

And then you were pushing his hand gently down from where it had been raised like a shield between you and he could see the surprising understanding and empathy and sympathy on your face. In the moment of distraction, the Gaster Blaster dissolved above you.

Before he could react, you had wrapped your arms around his shoulders and pulled him into you. He ended up pressing his teeth into your shoulder, at a loss at what to do as your cheek brushed the side of his skull.

"It's okay." You whispered quietly into his nonexistent ear. "It's okay to be upset. Just because you're crying doesn't mean you're weak, you know. Just means... you've been too strong for too long. You don't have to try and hide around me, you get me?" 

He never would have thought he'd hear you talk to him in that tone. Only ever in his dreams. He'd only ever heard you use it on Helvetica, when he got spooked into tears or fell and scraped his knees. It was such a sweet voice, soft and gentle and soothing. Caring.

His facade crumbled and he wept all over your jacket, big red tears staining it a dark shade of purple, and he clasped his arms tightly around your back, fingers folding into the loose fabric and digging into the soft, tender skin of your back. He buried his face into your collarbone, feeling your heartbeat against his teeth as he sputtered and gasped against you. 

You rested your head on his shoulder, hair brushing the side of his skull as you gently rubbed his shoulders with the flat of your hand. Your breathing was calm and even against his ribcage, soothing him but making him cry all the same.

He couldn't stand the thought of loosing you.

He knew you were smart and tough and brave and that it would take a lot more than one might think to take you out, but the thought still scared him. He knew you could take care of yourself, but maybe one day, that wouldn't be enough. Maybe one day you would get into trouble and he wouldn't be there to help you. 

For a long time, all you did was stand there in the snow, your arms around him, his clasped tightly around you. After a while, Helvetica came creeping up to stand beside you, looking uncertain and afraid but worried. He put a hand on one of your legs, silently asking if everything was okay. Your head tilted a little, apparently giving Helvetica a reassuring look, because the kid stepped away a little, then wrapped his tiny, feathered arms around one of Sans' legs and pressed his fuzzy snout against the bone.

Sans eventually calmed down, his grip on you loosening, but he did not pull away or let you go. Having come to his senses, he realized just how much he was liking the feeling of it. 

"You okay?" You said softly. He could feel the warmth of your breath and the movement of your jaw against his skull.

"... yeah." He reluctantly drew his arms away from you and stepped back, putting his hood up and lowering his head so you couldn't see his face.

For a long time, nothing happened. 

"Wanna go to Grillby's? I'm buying."

"... okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that scenarios are appreciated!


	11. Fights

You and Sans had been spending quite a lot of time together as of recently. More than Sans could have hoped for, really- you seemed to come by his post, his house, seek him out, every day. Where he previously had been hoping to push things along faster, he now was surprised by how quickly things had actually ended up coming along. 

He was thoroughly enjoying the hours you spent sitting on the counter of his post, swinging your legs against the wood while Helvetica scurried around or repeatedly stole Sans' notepad or built little forts out of snow or played games of tic-tac-toe with either you or Sans. Ever since you both more or less showed your softer innards to the other, you had been a lot more open in general, cracking jokes not based around ridiculing him and laughing at his puns, even his more morbid ones. In fact, you seemed a lot happier in general. If he didn't know better, he would have said it was doing some good for him, as well.

It was... nice. 

"Seriously, what do they teach you guys in school?" You laughed, shaking your head. "'If someone stabs you, leave the knife in; if you stab someone, take the knife out?' Like, geez! I've had to threaten Vet's friend multiple times to make sure he doesn't teach him anything weird."

"oh, you guys know about the knife thing too?"

You laughed harder then, slapping a hand across your eyes as you groaned. "Remind me not to ask any more questions about what you guys learn down here. Like, ever. Also, I don't care if I get arrested for it, Vet is not going to you guys' schools."

"good luck getting that past the school board with your limbs still attached." Sans chuckled right back, knowing very well no one would care if the little 'soul scrap' wasn't attending.

"BROTHER!" 

You nearly fell off your careful perch at the sudden interruption, saving yourself just in time as Papyrus came marching down the path, shoulders squared, usual pissed off look on his face. Sans rolled his eye, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

"SANS, I HOPE YOU'RE NOT-" The tall skeleton broke off upon spotting you sitting there, crossing his arms with a sigh. "OH, YOU'RE HERE. SANS GETS EVEN LESS DONE THAN USUAL WHENEVER YOU'RE AROUND."

Sans narrowed his sockets at him, ready to launch him back to Snowdin. He was surprised when you just shrugged, giving a calm but snarky grin. 

"Hey, looks I'm doing my job, then. Distracting is like my top priority." 

Papyrus studied you for a moment, then looked at Sans questioningly. "SARCASM?"

Sans shrugged, smiling as before. "probably."

"Oh, no, I am 100% serious. It is the thing I am known for." You suddenly dropped all expressions completely, and Sans realized you were just trying to fuck with his brother.

It was working. Papyrus, looking somewhat confused, studied you again. "... SARCASM?" He asked again, even more uncertainly than before. 

You rolled your eyes with a laugh. "Yes, sarcasm. Eesh, it's almost like you don't know me at all, spike." 

Sans couldn't help but chuckle at the nickname- which was all too accurate, honestly- and Papyrus' usual glare turned deeper. "WATCH WHAT YOU SAY, HUMAN! YOU ARE TALKING TO A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD."

You blew a raspberry, rolling your eyes again. "What are you gonna do? Poke my eyes out? Kill me? I seriously doubt it."

Papyrus stamped his foot. "SANS, THE HUMAN KNOWS I WON'T KILL THEM AND IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT!" 

"oh, woe is you, join the club." 

Helvetica ran up just then and, of course, grabbed the trailing end of Papyrus' cape and gave it a tug. Papyrus turned and planted his hands on his hips, attempting to look bigger.

"HELLO, TINY MONSTER! WHAT IS IT THAT BRINGS YOU TO GRAB THE TERRIBLE PAPYRUS' ATTENTION?" 

Helvetica giggled, tapping his feet as he held out a fairly large snowball to the skeleton who was about ten times his size. "Sno'ball?"

Papyrus looked almost confused for a moment, then stooped and lowered a hand. Helvetica dropped the snowball in his palm and gave him a giddy smile. "WHY... THANK YOU, SMALL MONSTER? FOR YOUR... SNOWBALL."

You laughed. "I think he wants you to have a snowball fight with him, spike." 

Realization seemed to dawn on his face, soon followed by a challenging expression. "WELL, HE HAS TAKEN ON A MOST TERRIBLE FOE! NYEH HEH HEH! HAVE AT ME, SMALL MONSTER!" 

His challenge was soon answered by a snowball hitting his left shoulder, prompting a shocked expression from him as Helvetica raced away, laughing all the while. Papyrus, while looking furious for having been caught off guard, took off after him with an impressed grin on his face.

You smiled after them, chuckling under your breath whenever you heard a squeak from Helvetica or startled yelp from Papyrus. "You know, for as much as your brother makes my ears bleed, I like that he gets along with Vet so well. Makes me wonder if he was always so... you know, aggressive." You shrugged, seemingly not satisfied with your choice of words, but chuckling all the same.

"nah. sure, he was always real thick, but he used to be ten times more tolerable." Sans watched as Helvetica quite literally jumped over a snowball as it was flying through the air then dove behind a snowbank for cover as another followed the first close behind.

"You said you raised him. Do you miss that? Having him depend on you and actually like you and stuff?" 

Sans blinked, then looked at you. You were studying him carefully, eyes full of curiosity and perhaps a little pity. 

Huh. He hadn't really thought about it. Turning back to watch as Papyrus scooped up Helvetica and held him above his head in victory as Helvetica squirmed and giggled, he found that perhaps he did. He could remember the times clearly enough, the times when Papyrus had looked up to him and admired in the way a kid should. Part of him had always wondered where he went wrong.

Not that he'd ever admit it.

"dunno. never thought about it." He shrugged, placing his arms on the counter and resting his head on them.

"Just always wondered." You turned back to the commotion, laughing as Papyrus lost his balance and fell into the snow with Helvetica on top of him. "Graceful and mighty as a swan out of water, spike. Top notch royal guard."

"IS THAT A CHALLENGE?! THE TERRIBLE PAPYRUS WILL NOT BE SHOWN UP BY A MERE HUMAN AND A SMALL MONSTER CHILD!" Papyrus jumped to his feet, soon scooping up another handful of snow.

You quickly ducked behind the counter, laughing even as you formed a snowball of your own. When you reared up to launch it, a snowball caught you right in the face as you sprawled backwards, sputtering. 

"Sans! Save me!" You cried, ducking and laughing and wiping snow from your eyes as another snowball hissed past your head.

Sans laughed, lounging back in his seat and propping up his feet. "oops, looks like i'm on break."

"Treachery!" You accused, pointing a finger at him accusingly. "Betrayal in its purest form! To think I had trusted you, you of all monsters!" And you dove into a snow bank, hiding from cover as Helvetica soon jumped in beside you.

Sans couldn't help but laugh as you and Helvetica soon backed Papyrus into a corner and ended up bringing him down under a tree branches worth of snow, bragging about your victory even as Papyrus got tired of listening- which took about .2 seconds- and tried to return the favor but only succeeded in getting even more snow on himself, much to your delight. 

"Get on my level, spike-butt!" You made an L with your pointer finger and thumb, blowing a raspberry at the tall skeleton.

"OH, YOU MEAN LIKE THIS?" And Papyrus leaned over the top of you until his head was level with yours, looking defiant. 

"Are you trying to say I'm short?"

"AS IF IT HAD TO BE SAID!"

"Take it back, horse skull!"

"MAKE ME!"

"Sans!" 

Sans blinked, surprised to be dragged into the argument. You were standing with your hands on your hips, glaring defiantly up at the taller skeleton, who still loomed over you as if to prove a point.

It looked utterly ridiculous.

"yeah?"

"What did the tree say to the bird?!"  
What in the fuck? "uh, i don't know. what?"

"Make like a tree and leaf!" You seemed to draw yourself up taller, narrowing your eyes while a smirk found its way across your face.

Papyrus looked mortified. "YOU WOULDN'T DARE!"

"Did you hear about the guy who got his whole left side cut off? He's all right now."

"STOP!"

"What's the definite of a will? It's a dead-giveaway!"

"STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"

"Oh, don't be so heartless."

"SANS, MAKE THEM STOP!"

"even i haven't figured out how to do that."

"I thought I was being pretty humerus. Tibia honest, you look like you're running a femur." 

"AAAGH!"

"A ghost walks into a bar and says 'I'm here for the boos.'"

Sans couldn't help but laugh his sorry ass off as you continued to berate Papyrus, even when Papyrus covered his ears and stamped his feet furiously. Helvetica, giggling all the while, hopped up to sit beside his elbow and tug on his sleeve.

When he gave the kid an inquiring look, Helvetica responded with a surprisingly mischievous smile.

He held out another large snowball, giving Sans a knowing smirk. "Sno'ball?"

Sans' grin widened and his eye glowed faintly brighter as he drew the kid under his arm, picking up the snowball and testing its weight.

"you wanna have a great time, eh, kid?" He turned to narrow his eyes at you and Papyrus, grin ever broadening. "get dunked on."

To say utter chaos ensued would be an understatement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You want Papyrus? You got Papyrus.
> 
> CriesbecauseIhavenoideahowtowriteUnderfellPaps


	12. The color green

More time passed, and Helvetica began to portray more and more little quirks and personalities traits. As it turned out, Helvetica liked peanut butter in much the same way you did. And, as it turned out, Sans had a stash he kept for reasons undisclosed- whether he liked peanut buttery sweets himself or he kept them to get on your good side when you pined for them, he never said. 

And, as it turned out, Helvetica could be a pretty sneaky little fuck.

Being both light as a feather and covered in feathers and being able to slink and slither around like a snake, the kid was proving to have the makings of a little thief. And that was proving to be a problem.

It had surprised Sans when he woke from dozing on his couch to find Helvetica attempting to slip out with several mouthfuls of wrapped peanut buttery sweets. Once spotted, the orange monster froze, then took off in the direction of the kitchen. Sans, of course, took chase.

He had been chasing the kid around for at least half an hour now, and he was getting tired of it. Helvetica slipped between his legs, chittering in a way that sounded very much like a laugh. Sans, growling under his breath, huffed and spun on his heel, racing after the kid as he made to jump behind the couch.

"gotcha, ya little brat!" He grinned triumphantly, slapping a hand down to pin the kid down, sure he had him this time.

But his hand never made contact.

He blinked in surprise, lifting his hand in confusion. Surely enough, his aim had been accurate, as his hand was directly above him. The thing he hadn't taken account for was the thin, green sheet of magic shielding Helvetica, hovering just an inch above from where he was crouched on the sofa. It was thin and fragile, like the glass of a Christmas ornament, and had nearly broken under Sans' hand, but was still, surprisingly, in tact long enough for shock to come over Sans.

From beneath it, Helvetica blew a raspberry and leaped away again, obviously feeling triumphant.

Sans had to take a moment before taking off after him again. That was the first sign of Helvetica being able to wield and use his magic, but that wasn't the thing that really caught him off guard. It was the color. 

Green magic was not a kind he was familiar with. He knew it existed, as monsters that specialized in healing could use to quickly restore an injured monster's health, but those were few and far between in this society. The most common kinds were white, orange and blue- all intended to cause harm. Green magic was... different. No one was sure how it worked. All most knew was that it healed instead of hurt. 

Perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised that that was the first kind Helvetica showed signs of wielding- his eyes were green, after all, the same shade as the magic. There was often such a correlation in the monster's magic make up- that eyes and magic should match up, such an odd trait. Of course, there were exceptions, but those usually manifested in weaker magic users. Normally, it was those more in tune with their magic using that displayed the eye-magic correlation. 

Did this mean Helvetica was going to be such a monster?

Now wasn't the time to think about that. He had stolen property to retrieve.

"sorry, kid, but you asked for it." His own magic flared in his fingertips as he raised a hand and pointed it toward the kid, now attempting to run up the stairs. The kid was caught in midair, and struggled as Sans waved him within grabbing distance. 

Promptly, Sans snatched the stolen goods from the monster's tiny hands. He gave the kid a very unamused, sinister grin, narrowing his eyes at him.

"thank you." 

Helvetica huffed and snorted at him grumpily, looking sulky. Sans sighed, rolling his eyes.

"you know, if you wanted one, you could have just asked."

Helvetica brightened, stretching out his hands and putting them on Sans' cheeks. "Really?"

"uh, duh."

"Please?" He excitedly wagged his tail, giving Sans a hopeful look. Sans rolled his eyes, feigning thinking about it despite knowing he could say no to the kid.

"alright, fine, ya little brat."

Helvetica happily took the offered sweet and excitedly tore off the wrapping, soon sinking his teeth into it with a happy hum. Sans shook his head, but lowered the kid to the couch and went to go find a new place to hide the sweets before Helvetica could decide he wanted to have more than Sans decided to give him. 

Part of him wondered if he should warn you of Helvetica's budding magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for not writing in forever. I've got the Mount Everest of writers block rn.


	13. Survival Tactic

You and Sans had a routine on the days he had off or simply chose not to work. He would show up to your cottage sometime in the middle of the day, let himself in, and would most likely find you in your painting room and would simply sit and watch you work or perhaps play games of tic-tac-toe with Helvetica if he wasn't out playing with a friend. During that time, you'd normally just chat back and forth as you painted this and that- normally scenes from the underground (once, you even did one of Undyne standing at one of the pools in Waterfall, though you made him swear up and down he'd never speak a word), though, every so often, you would do one of the surface.

Personally, those were his favorites.

Today was such a day. He stepped through your living room and toward the partially ajar door to the painting room. He put a hand on it and pushed it open slightly farther, then stopped.

You were holding Helvetica up under his arms and swaying back and forth with him, relaxed and loose as Helvetica's legs and tail dangled and swayed in time. He was grinning, tail wagging slightly. It was almost like you were dancing, albeit in a very odd and silly way. You were singing, almost quietly:

"Now, honey, I know,  
In the dawn,  
You'll be gone,  
But tonight,  
You belong to me."

It was surprisingly sweet and loving and he found myself wondering where you'd heard such a song and if perhaps you would sing it again. Perhaps to him. 

You drew Helvetica into a hug, then lowered him to floor and gave him a peck on the head. "Alright, go have fun. Be back for dinner." You gave him a small push towards the door, but he paused to give your arm a squeeze before scampering away.

Sans quickly backed away from the door, acting as though he hadn't just been spying on a rather private scene. Helvetica stepped out from the room with a start, chittering a greeting to Sans before quickly giving one of his legs a hug before trotting out the door, closing it with a wave and a "Bye, Sans!"

Sans shook his head with a quiet chuckle, then headed into the room. You were mixing blue-green and white paint together to create a teal color, but glanced up when he shuffled inside.

"Hey, bone head. How's it going?" 

He took his usual spot leaning against of the more bear walls, stuffing his hands in pockets. "same as usual."

"So, not great, then?" You chuckled, carefully dabbing some of the teal paint onto a roughly sketched flower. "You should try lightening up sometime, Sans. Apathetic is a mask that looks good on no one."

He just grunted, watching as you filled in the petals of the now obvious echo flower, shading the edges an almost purple color. After a while, he spoke again. "you always do the same things. doesn't that get boring?"

"What do you mean?" 

"always the same things, always the same colors. do something different."

You rolled your eyes, amused. "Well, first of all, bossy, I happen to think Waterfall is the best thing I can paint without getting angry and giving up. I don't know if you've noticed, but I can't paint Snowdin very well." You tapped just below a messy sketch of the snow covered pines of Snowdin's forest. 

He didn't know what you were talking about. He thought it looked nice. "looks fine to me."

"Well, what would you prefer, mister picky?" You crossed your arms and gave him a feigned glare. He would have chuckled if it wouldn't have seemed too obvious.

He mulled it over. It wasn't often you asked him what he wanted you to paint. Finally, he settled for the more obvious choice. "do something from the surface."

You blinked in surprise, turning to be pull at one of the drapes that covered one of the walls. "Well, I've already painted all I can remember, so it would just be more of that." You gestured broadly at the collection of golden swathes of color, making up several paintings of what he could only assume was the mountain they were trapped under, a few of trees, one that looked like a flower ringed hole in the ground. 

"what about the ones of the skies, then?"

You seemed surprised again, and turned to look at another portion of the broad wall. You told it him it was mostly of sunrises and sunsets, as those were the most interesting to paint, but a few were of clouds scuffing a pale blue background. 

"I suppose I could do more of those, but that ends up being so troublesome, trying to get the clouds just right... I could do stars, though. You said you like the wishing room, right?"

He was pleased you remembered. "yeah."

"I could try to do one of the real thing. Not saying it would look very different, but I could try." You hummed in thought. "Rather make that a surprise, though. Shouldn't take very long. Might be done by the time you get here tomorrow."

You rocked idly on your feet for a while, staring at a blank space in the mosaic of paints. Sans took the chance to glance at the things you normally didn't let him see- namely, the paintings of the surface and the people you only remembered half of the time. He was surprised to find some new additions, on the far right- 

Monsters.

Your 'friends' of a sort: Papyrus giving a half way curious glare, Undyne giving a somewhat challenging, friendly, menacing grin, Alphys looking almost fondly annoyed, a goat woman that reminded him somewhat of Asgore, even one of himself! It looked like he was giving an amused glare, which he realized he must give you often, considering he tried to still look like he didn't like you in the slightest. For whatever reason, the realization that you had put effort into something indirectly for him made his soul flutter in his chest.

The largest, however, was of Helvetica. It looked unfinished, as tough you didn't want to complete it. He had his wings spread, eyes wide open. For a moment, it almost felt as though the eyes were following his every move. It was... unnerving, in way.

Just then, you drew the curtain over them again. You rolled your shoulders, turning to a blank space as you picked up a palette. You stood there, contemplating it for a long time. You looked very soft in that moment- features relaxed, sleeves rolled up, front smeared with a rainbow of colors, eyes lost in thought.

Not at all like the human he'd first thought you to be, the hard shelled, tough, prickly, angry at the unjust world you'd found yourself in, human. Could you really be both at once? Bitter and harsh enough to survive this long, but soft and tender enough to be... this?

"how'd you end up like this?"

You blinked into focus, turning and giving him a confused look. "What?"

"how'd you know how to survive, i mean. you should have been blasted off the face of the planet ten times by now." He studied you, watching realization come across your face, closely followed by something harder, unreadable as stone. Huh.

"Certain kinds of environments require knowledge on how to get by in them. It just so happened that I knew how, in this particular case." You shrugged, turning back to the wall, absently dipping your fingers into a random color, then watching it trickle down to your palm.

"six humans fell before you, and they were all killed. what kind of knowledge do you have that they didn't?"

You chuckled, though it sounded hollow. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were actually interested in knowing more about me." But you shrugged again, drawing a line across the wall. "I don't know. I've never had to explain it before. Give me a second."

You paused, face blank, but with eyes troubled and unreadable as you seemingly reflected. Then, you let out a breath, ruffling a few strands of your hair.

"Certain kinds of people you can't just fight. It's like standing out in a strong wind- the more you fight it, the more it's likely to push you over. It's better to just roll with it until you can get back in control, taking as little damage as possible along the way. You can't give in one hundred percent, though. You have to be careful. If you do, it'll knock you right off your feet and sweep you away, hurting you as much as possible along the way." 

He studied you as you paused. Your expression was vaguely troubled, though there was something faintly angry about it. Whatever it was, he'd sparked an unhappy memory, though if you 100% remembered whatever it was was debatable.

"Fighting you guys, in that first year, it was like finding myself in the middle of hurricane. All I could do was try to find the easiest way to the eye of the storm without getting hit with flying debris on the way there. Guess I got lucky and found a way to stay inside it. One step in the wrong direction, though..."

You trailed off, eyes suddenly sharp but not focused on what was in front of you.

"You have to learn to adapt. That's all. It's a steep learning curve, sure, but once you learn something like that, you never forget it. Can you imagine how fucked I would have been if I'd fought back? Shit, you would have killed me on the spot." 

You turned and your eyes suddenly found his. The thought hadn't occurred to him before. At least, not in this sense- he could have very easily killed you without a second thought to if it could have led to something like... this. Someone like you.

Then, just as quickly, you turned back around again. "Nah. It's best not to fight people like that. Convinced that what they're doing is the right thing, no matter who has to pay for it. Angry at things I'll probably never know. Taking it out on those who don't truly deserve it." 

As you'd been talking, you'd been absently painting something on the blank space- a human, from the looks of it a male. You seemed to realize what you were doing and suddenly scowled at it, quickly thrusting a hand into the nearest open jar of paint- black- and sharply swiped your hand across it. Whoever it was disappeared under a thick, dripping streak of heavy black paint.

For a moment, you stared at where it had been. Then you wiped your hands off on a rag and shuffled over to sit down beside him, shutting your eyes. "Anyway. I guess my point is that people who learn in tough schools of life end up tougher to show for it, whether for better or worse. Hurts like hell at the time, but, hey. Served me well down here. That's something."

He had a good idea what you weren't saying, and it caused fire to flare inside his chest. Before he could think too deeply about it, he was speaking. "sorry. for whatever that sick bastard did to you that made you end up tough enough to survive down here for so long. must have been... hard."

Your eyes flew open and you looked at him in surprise and what might have been a bit of fear. You recovered quickly enough, looking away again. "Past is the past. Hardly remember it, anyway." 

A long pause.

"a guy?"

"I think so."

Silence. 

"humans are weird. we may be fucked up, but at least we know to treat our mate right."

You looked at him briefly, then away again. You didn't say anything. He wondered if he should have said that out loud.

A long silence ensued. He could hear your breathing, in and out calmly and steadily. 

"... Wanna stay for dinner?"

"why not?"

You let out a long breath, pushing yourself to your feet and giving him a half smile before extending your hand. He grabbed it, though he may have messed with you for a bit longer than necessary before helping himself up. You struggled, tugging on his hand, digging in your heels.

"Come on, you heavy bag of lazy! Get up or I'm kicking you out!"

He chuckled, then pushed himself up. You dropped his hand, instead pushing the door open and heading for the kitchen. 

"I still can't cook for shit, but we can either do take out or just eat snacks until we're satisfied. Which would you prefer?"

"don't care."

"What a surprise. I'll ask Vet when he gets back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have writers block so bad I literally had to force myself to shit this out. I apologize.


	14. Cowards

As it turned out, not every monster was very accepting of you yet. Some still wanted to get to the surface and thought you were standing in the way. They were just too cowardly to do anything about it when you had the Kings indirect permission to live amongst the monsters. 

Too cowardly, up to a point. 

Sans discovered this one night as he was more or less running an errand for you- you had rolled your ankle earlier, but had nothing in the fridge and needed more purple and black paint for whatever most recent thing you were working on. Since Sans had been there at the time, you asked him to go out and get something for you without hope he would actually agree. You were pleasantly surprised when he had 'begrudgingly agreed', and asked him to take Vet with him while you wrapped your ankle.

He shambled along through the snow, Helvetica walking cheerily at his side in his pale green sweater. Every so often, he would wander away, only to come dashing back when he thought Sans was getting too far for comfort. At times, he would attempt to take Sans' hand, which would prove unsuccessful as Sans still had his hands stuffed in his pockets.

As the small, run down shop came into view, Sans noticed the kid staring at him. When he directed a look his way, he gave him a bright grin and wagged his tail happily. Sans chuckled to himself, dropping a hand to ruffle his crest of feathers. 

Helvetica led him to one of the dusty corners of the shop, where he found the scarce supply of small bottles of acrylic paint. Helvetica grabbed the two of you needed, then scampered back to the counter. He had trouble rolling them onto the table top, but eventually managed and then had to struggle to place the money beside them. The rabbit behind the counter chuckled, then simply took the money, counted it up, and rolled the bottles back. 

"Say hi to your human for me, kiddo." 

Helvetica, now hugging the two bottles again, gave a chirp of acknowledgement, then trotted back to Sans, standing beside the doorway. The rabbit working didn't seem to find anything odd about it- well, to be fair, he was seen around both the tiny monster and yourself during nearly all hours of the waking day, and he had been sure to have staked his claim over you in the earlier days.

When he'd first found himself to be having some sort of feelings of fondness for you, he'd been quick to start calling you 'his soul,' 'his kill,' so as to make sure the other monsters stayed away from you. Not everyone knew about his little HP problem, but most knew about his magic prowess, and did well to keep on his better side if he posed a threat. In this way, he had kept you at least somewhat safer.

Helvetica shifted the bottles in his little wings, giving Sans another bright smile. Sans huffed out a laugh, but led the way out of the shop and down the road to his next destination- Grillby's. Eventually, upon seeing Helvetica struggling somewhat with the bottles of black and purple paint, he pocketed them so as to give the kid a break. Vet seemed reluctant to give up his duty, but after a moment let go and allowed Sans to pull them out of his grasp. 

As soon as the duo stepped into the warmth of Grillby's, Helvetica shook a dusting of snow onto the floor. Normally, such an action would have received some sort of fine or something of the like for dirtying the floors, but Grillby either didn't notice or didn't care. From the way his glasses glinted, indicating he'd glanced in this direction, Sans figured it was the latter. 

He propped himself against the counter, relaying to Grillby what you had told him to get, and placing the money you had given him on the counter. The bar was busy, shuffling with noise and monsters. The thought that Helvetica might be frightened by the crowd occurred to him only after a few moments, and he glanced down to see how he was faring. Oddly enough, he was standing obediently at Sans' side, patiently waiting beside him. When he realized he was being looked at, he gave Sans a curious look. 

Sans absently reached a hand down and ruffled his crest, then turned back to the counter. The background noise of the multiple voices all talking at once was enough to send him into a light lull, and he found himself almost dozing against the counter.

A flash of light, the sound like the snap of fire shooting suddenly into furious life, a crack like a tree branch being snapped violently in two, and some projectile flew towards him. For a moment, his soul jumped to his throat and he nearly teleported the fuck out of there when it flew harmlessly past him- hitting something else instead.

With a crash like a marble hitting glass, something slammed against the far wall and fell onto someone's table. Sans was frozen in shock as the bright green, slightly translucent ball rolled gently to a stop between two monsters on opposites sides of the table. 

The bar was deathly silent. All eyes were on the bright green ball.

It sat still for a moment, then fell away and dissolved with a swirl of fizzling magic and Helvetica unrolled from inside it, standing and shaking himself off. He carefully stepped to the edge of the table then hopped to the floor and stepped back to Sans' side, blinking up at him as if nothing had happened.

After a moment of pause, all heads turned to where the magic projectile had come from. 

Some monster- from the looks of the pointed snout poking out from beneath the large hat, a madjick- shrank in their seat, attempting to hide away from the gazes set upon him. Grillby's hand shot out and lifted him from his seat before he make a dash for the door, eyes gleaming with unspoken menace. He turned his head slightly and the flicker behind his glasses met Sans' gaze, silently awaiting his decision. 

Sans fiery rage roared into life in his left eye socket and he raised a hand, magic grabbing the sniveling monster in a vice grip before he flew out of one of the windows, a small trickle of dust drifting on a breeze proving he had met his end on the spears of bone waiting for him there, out of sight. Helvetica, blinking at the broken window as if shocked, turned and gave Sans an almost scared look. 

He lowered a hand, ruffling his feathers before lifting him to his shoulder so he could nestle into his hood. "you're okay, bud. i've gotcha covered."

Grillby pushed a small bag towards Sans, meeting his gaze steadily, gaze unreadable. A small slip of paper was stuck to the bag. Sans snagged it between his fingers, trying to ignore the hushed words now being exchanged between the remaining monsters of the bar. 

_'Green?' ___

__He stuffed it into his pocket with a huff, eyes meeting Grillby's before he snatched up the bag and headed for the door. Several monsters gave him nods as he passed, his only response being a tiny nod back._ _

__Helvetica nosed the side of his face, obviously wanting to ask a question he didn't have the words to speak. Sans did his best to ignore it._ _

__"don't worry about it, pal. none of your concern."_ _

__Helvetica snorted, but didn't do anything more for the rest of the walk home._ _

__Sans was wracking his brain for everything he knew about green magic. It didn't take a lot of magic to be able to use it, but it did take a ton of practice and studying to be able to use it steadily. It was best used to heal wounds, at least monster wounds, and only a handful of monsters currently used it, and it was not their primary magic by any means. He wasn't aware of anyone having it happen to be their primary magic, ever. But then, no one recorded things like that. Mostly they recorded who was of most use to the kingdom. The only monsters he knew that had any sort of practice or studies in multiple kinds of magic were..._ _

__He pushed your door open, finding you splayed on the couch. Helvetica instantly jumped off of Sans' shoulders and on to you, causing you sit up with an 'Oomph!'_ _

__"Oh, hey. You're back. Everything go okay?"_ _

__"more or less."_ _

__

__As you sat with your food, Helvetica nibbling on a fry nearby, Sans brought up what happened at Grillby's. To say you were outraged was an understatement._ _

__"Someone did what?!"_ _

__"tried to hurt the kid."_ _

__"Why?!"_ _

__"guess not everyone likes you yet."_ _

__"So they tried to off him to get to me. Great. Wonderful. Peachy." A long sigh. "Is he hurt?"_ _

__"no. he protected himself before i could react."_ _

__You gave him a faintly confused look. "How?"_ _

__"that's what i wanted to talk about. he used a shield of green magic and must have done it either on instinct or he has the best reaction time i've ever seen."_ _

__"Green magic? That's a thing? I only remembering seeing white, blue and orange."_ _

__"that's because they were trying to hurt you. green magic is used to heal."_ _

__"Magic can do that?"_ _

__"what did i just say."_ _

__"Okay, point taken. What's the big deal about it? Okay, so he can protect himself. That's good."_ _

__"the deal is that i don't know anything about green magic, but what i do know is that it takes a lot of know-how to use it on command like that."_ _

__"Huh. So basically... He either can only use green magic, or there's something going on that neither of us gets?"_ _

__"or he's just naturally inclined to it. thing is, i don't know a lot about green magic, so there might be side effects i don't know about. soon he'll need to learn how to control it, too. most kids start using their magic at a much younger age, and tend to have trouble keeping it under wraps and end up with a lot of self inflicted black eyes and the like."_ _

__"Alright. Okay. So... Who do we go to?"_ _

__'We,' he noted. It may have meant you and Helvetica, but he decided it included him, also. "well, i only know two people who know more than two shucks about magic."_ _

__"Oh my god, don't tell me."_ _

__"Alphys and Undyne."_ _

__"Kill me now."_ _

__"well, if you'd rather have him figure everything out on his own..."_ _

__"Fine, fine. But I'm setting rules, and if you don't back me up, so help me, my foot is going up your bony butt."_ _

__"i make no promises."_ _

__You growled at him under your breath, running a hand through your hair. Helvetica, who seemed to have been paying attention, reached out a put a tiny hand on your arm, eyes surprisingly troubled. You gave him a reassuring smile, ruffling his feathers gently._ _

__"It's okay, buddy. Don't worry. Things'll work out."_ _

__He grabbed your hand, snuffling his fuzzy nose against your fingers._ _

__A little while later, you all sat on the couch, your feet in Sans' lap, Helvetica in yours, snoozing quietly as the T.V. played idly in the background. Sans let out a faint sigh of content, despite being faintly nervous about whatever magic shenanigans were surely going to ensue in the days that followed. You were dozing in the dim light, head propped up in a hand as you stared blankly at the television._ _

__"Hey, Sans."_ _

__He hummed in acknowledgement._ _

__"Thanks. For helping me out with this little guy." You softly scratched at Helvetica's back, smiling when he stretched and purred in his sleep. "I appreciate it. I don't know what I'd do without it. Your help, I mean."_ _

__He groggily looked at you from the corner of his eye. Your eyes were half shut, a content look on your face. "no problem."_ _

__"By the way, what happened to whoever tried to hit Vet?"_ _

__Sans grinned wickedly, giving you a wink. "don't worry about it. dust in the wind."_ _

__It took you a moment, then you blinked at him in surprise. "You serious?"_ _

__He opted for chuckling, closing his eyes as if asleep._ _

__"Eesh. I didn't know you liked Vet so much as to... do that in his defense."_ _

__"he's a good kid. besides, he is yours." The last part slipped without him meaning for it to, and he was aware of magic crawling across his cheeks but refused to open his eyes, attempting to play it off as casual._ _

__You let out a tired, breathy chuckle. "Daw, you care." You said it teasingly, but part of him wondered if there was a hint of affection in your voice._ _

__He cracked an eye open to look at you, but you were already asleep._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very tired
> 
> Forgive me if this is shit


	15. Magic shenanigans

Sans arranged for you and the kid to see Alphys and Undyne on a day that you happened to work. He was shambling along through Snowdin, heading to Grillby's to get you and Helvetica, wondering how on earth he got to the point where he was playing father for some random, abandoned monster kid who's mother figure was the human he happened to have taken a liking to.

He could hardly believe any of it. At first he'd been tired of dancing around you, but now that he seemed to making ground, it almost felt like one second you'd hated him and the next you were readily accepting him into your routine. Where at first he'd tolerated Helvetica's existence so as to please you, he now found himself genuinely enjoying the time he spent with the kid, genuinely enjoying the little tokens of affection he got from him, genuinely looking forward to whatever shenanigans he got himself into. 

The kid was still small for a monster his age- no taller than his knees, perhaps a bit shorter- and Sans wondered if he should be concerned. But then, monsters all grew at different rates, right? Who's to say if Helvetica was just a late bloomer? It had to have been at least a year since that blizzarding night you had nearly faced your death at the grip of the cold- bestowing upon Sans a request that he find a safe home for the newly hatched monster in your hands. A home he found with you.

A year, at the very least. Maybe more. He would have to think about getting a gift for the little scrap. 'Good job surviving this long and making everyone a bit happier' gift.

He peered into the darkened windows of Grillby's, finding Grillby sitting at a table nearby, Helvetica across from him, a chess board between them. It was clear Helvetica didn't quite understand how to play, as he had hoarded all of a certain piece and was now arranging them into neat little rows beside him on the table, but Grillby seemed to be having a good time. At the back, you were wiping down the countertop of the bar.

He knocked on the door twice. Grillby lifted his head, meeting his gaze, then gave Helvetica a single pat on the head before picking him up in one hand and passing him to you. As you headed for the door, he scooped up the chess board and disappeared through the fire exit.

You hopped out into the snow beside Sans, Helvetica wound around you neck like a snuffling feather boa. You fell into step beside him, heading for Waterfall.

"you ready for this thing?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

 

Your small group had decided to meet up in a secluded cove in Waterfall, away from curious eyes. Alphys and Undyne were already there, and Papyrus had joined you on the way there. Alphys had a notepad and adjusted her spiraled glasses as you approached, Helvetica still wound tightly around your neck.

You pried him off and set the fluffy orange monster gently on the ground, giving him a reassuring pat. "Alright. What first?"

Alphys patted the spot next to her. "Set him here." 

You obliged, though Helvrtica looked bewildered. Sans stood at your shoulder, eyeing everyone suspiciously. 

Alphys set her pen and pad down and turned to the confused little monster. "Here, little guy. Try this for me." She put her claws together and rubbed them quickly, as if trying to warm her hands. 

Helvetica tilted his head, then obliged. From between his hand showed a few sparks of green static. Your eye brows lifted as you watched, surprised. Alphys jotted something down. 

"Um. Okay. What next?"

Undyne stepped forward, eye flashing in the light. Sans barely caught your wince.

You and Sans settled side by side on an outcropping of stone, jutting out from the wall, to watch. You looked uncertain and unhappy as Undyne directed Helvetica to stand in the center of a circle she drew on the ground, then stepped several yards away.

"You go easy on him or I take out your other eye, you hear me?" You barked out, and Sans could almost see you bristling like an angry mother dog. Undyne nodded, discreetly. You crossed your arms, huffing as you leaned back as you grumbled a 'Don't see what this has to do with figuring out whether it's hurting him or not.'

Undyne raised a hand, and above her head appeared a flurry of spears, a dozen at the least.

Before Sans could so much as feel the indignation, he heard you let out a burst of 'Holy _shit ___!' and lunged off the wall, braking to a stop to stand a few feet in front of Helvetica, who seemed oblivious to the situation.

The spears were already in motion, and now were headed square for your soul- and for all Sans knew, it may not be strong enough to withstand such an onslaught. 

Shock and fear flashed across Undyne's face, but just as she made a move to halt her magic, the spears met your shielding figuring- but did no harm. Just before they would pierce you, a disk of green magic would block them and shatter on contact, as would the spear. 

It all happened in a few seconds. 

An angry chittering rose in the air and Helvetica shot out from between your legs to lower his head and crash into one of Undyne's legs. He backed away a moment later, clutching his forehead and shaking his head furiously. Undyne stared down at him in surprise. Then, she stooped and plucked him up by the back of his sweater. He recovered quickly and made a few swipes at her with his tiny little claws, growling as fiercely as the little scrap could manage. Undyne let out a huff of laughter, then put a hand on your back and steered you back to the outcropping of stone. 

Sans quickly scanned you over for injuries and found none. Nonetheless, he directed a fiery glare in Undyne's direction as she lowered Helvetica to the stone. The kid then proceeded to make another charge at her, slashing at her chest plate furiously. He only calmed when you came over and put a hand on him. 

Alphys was scribbling something down, muttering something about a 'Neutralizing affect.' 

"That was a really dumb move." Undyne crossed her arms, eyeing you as if you were the biggest dumbass she'd ever seen. You crossed your arms right back, placing yourself between her and your kid. 

"Yeah, and I said go easy on him. What's your definition of 'easy?' Manslaughter?" 

Undyne snorted, and for a moment Sans was ready to groan in fear of the incoming stalemate. Then Papyrus stepped forward. 

"WHY NOT JUST HAVE IT BE I WHO TESTS HIM? I WILL STOP WHEN ASKED BUT WILL NOT GO TOO SOFTLY ON HIM." 

Undyne looked like she was about to take that as a challenge, but you agreed to the compromise before she could say anything. 

Helvetica was still giving Undyne a dirty look as you smoothed his crown of feathers and guided him back to his circle, reassuring him you were alright and that they were just making sure of a few things, and that he was a good boy but he had to listen to Papyrus for just a little while longer before you could go home. 

You hesitated before sitting beside Sans again, crossing your arms. Sans leaned a little closer, tilting his head so as to hiss into your ear. 

"you alright?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. You think your brother can control himself so as not to get carried away?" 

He shouldn't have been surprised. You were you as ever- caring more for the kid than yourself. "kid'll be fine." 

Neither of you noticed Alphys watching the hushed exchange through suspicious eyes. 

For a while, not much to note happened. Every time Papyrus tried to test Helvetica's magic with a simple bone attack, Helvetica would jump out of the way or dodge to the side to avoid it. It got to the point where Papyrus was stamping his feet in frustration. It was clear Vet didn't quite understand the point of what was going on, and was just doing what his natural survival instinct told him to. 

After a few minutes, Papyrus got a calculating look on his face, then conjured a circle of bones and had them close in on the kid. Vet seemed to attempt to jump out of the way, but, oddly enough, couldn't. He twisted in place for a moment, then a bubble appeared around him and pushed the attack out and away from him as he ducked and put his arms over his head. The bones and shield disappeared in a fizzle of white and green swirls. 

Alphys tapped her pen in thought, then called Helvetica over. She gave him a once over, checked his eyes and inside his mouth, then pulled away again. She looked thoughtful for several moments, then turned to the group as Helvetica played with her coat tails. 

"There's nothing wrong with him and I can't find any bad side effects. I guess it's just his primary magic. Maybe he'll grow out of it." She shrugged as if she wasn't sure either. Sans watched you slap a hand across your face, sighing. 

"Well. At least he's not killing himself. C'mere, buddy." You clapped your hands for him, and he scampered up your arm and onto your shoulders. You ran a hand through your hair. "Well. Thanks, guys, even if we didn't actually learn anything." 

Undyne slapped you across the back. Helvetica snarled at her softly, huffing. "No prob. Kids got spunk." She grinned as Helvetica narrowed his eyes at her. 

She and Alphys left, talking as they went, and you returned to Snowdin with the skeleton brothers. Papyrus went on ahead, saying something about dinner, but Sans strode beside you as you headed for your cottage. You let him in, heading for the small closet beside what he could only assume was your bedroom. 

Helvetica was practically snoozing as you tugged his sweater off and wrapped him in a blanket burrito, setting him on the couch as you trailed into the kitchen. Sans paused briefly to ruffle his feathers, then followed you. It seemed the use of magic had tired the kid out. 

"Hey, bone head." 

He watched you fill a glass with a water, swirling it around thoughtfully. 

"I've been down here a while, haven't I?" 

"yep." 

"It's surprised me, how much I've come to kind of like this place. Stockholm syndrome, maybe." You chuckled, taking a sip of the water. 

He leaned against the counter, watching you. 

"It's kind of funny how much Vet's changed things for me. I guess you and I aren't too different: all we both needed was a kid to come along and remind us that not everything is... corrupted, I guess." 

He wondered if you thought the reason he was being nice to you was because he liked the kid. Now that he thought about it, it probably wouldn't seem very far off. Damn it. 

"How long do you think it's been? Since he hatched, I mean." 

He mulled it over. "year. maybe a year and a half." 

You looked up in surprise. "Really?" 

"yeah." 

"Geez. I can't believe I just missed his birthday like it doesn't mean anything. Shoot." You smacked a hand across your face, quiet for a while. Then, you peeked between your fingers at him. "You know anything about baking?" 

He'd sworn to himself he'd never let anyone know about his affinity for baking several years ago. But maybe... 

He could make an exception this once. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tired and I have a midterm tomorrow and I should be sleeping and I rushed this so here you go
> 
> I apologize if it sucks lol


	16. Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to hurry up and get this out because I haven't written in forever so,, enjoy this rushed and probably typoed mess I am too tired to fix right now. I apologize.

"christ, you suck at baking."

"So sue me for it. What next?" 

Sans shook his head, watching you as you grumpily glared at him from behind a large mixing bowl, front spattered with half-mixed cake batter. He directed you to pick up the eggs, noticing the way you oh so carefully crack them into the bowl, whether it was because you actually knew how to do it properly or just because you didn't want an even bigger mess, he couldn't tell. 

Eventually, you poured it into two, large circular pans and stuck them into the oven, turning the dial on the little kitchen timer someone had gotten you however long ago. You wiped your hands on your apron, then shoved a handful of things into Sans' hands as you rushed past into the living room. 

"Make the frosting while I finish up wrapping shit!"

He scoffs after you as if he would never do that in a million years, but slides off the counter and picks up another mixing bowl and takes a look at what you had dumped on him. Peanut butter, a small bag of chocolate chips, a small bag of peanut butter chips. He would never understand humans interest in rotting their teeth out.

The mix didn't take long, and soon he was shambling into the living room to see what you were up to. The place had been tidied up a bit, and a handful of balloons and colorful strips of paper were strung around so as to give the place a festive feel. He had noticed you had shoved a rather large and heavy chair in front of the door to your painting room. 

It was wise. If any of the guests (however many there were) found that, your reputation for being a stone cold, tough as nails character- much like the monsters themselves- would be completely ruined. 

You were just finishing tying a ribbon around an oddly shaped box when he came in, and he watched you stand and put on top of the small stack of other wrapped things. He didn't understand this odd take on the 'birthday' thing, but, hey, it was kind of cool to see the differences between monster holidays and human ones. He remembered your perplexed expression when he told you their take on Christmas, but it had only lasted a moment before disappearing; that had been years ago.

"you really know how to over do it, dontcha?"

"I can spoil him if I want. He's my kid." You snapped right back, flying back into the kitchen. 

He couldn't help but roll his eyes in amusement. You weren't wrong; part of him was surprised the kid wasn't calling you 'Mom' or something. Mostly he just called you by your name, or maybe 'human'- and even the latter felt incredibly endearing whenever it came out of his mouth. Sans wondered if it was, in a way, a title to him like 'mom' and 'dad' were to usual monster kids.

It was when you were decorating the now stacked cake that the first guest appeared- Papyrus, with Undyne and Alphys close behind. M.K.- Helvetica's friend from Waterfall- was instructed with keeping him away from the house and distracted until five o'clock sharp, and in return he would receive free food. Who all you had invited, Sans wasn't sure.

Papyrus was curious about the decorations and sweets laid around the place, though Alphys and Undyne exchanged a whisper about something about 'just like anime' and 'slightly underwhelming, though.' Oddly enough, they had all brought gifts and dropped them beside yours- Alphys' obviously a cellphone, Undyne's an awkwardly shaped object that was very badly wrapped, and Papyrus' very obviously a scarf, most likely 'autographed'. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Sans caught you giving the ragtag group a warm look as they put their gifts beside yours. 

"Sup, bitchlord. Wheres the kid?" Undyne came up and pretty much took up the entirety of the kitchen as she leaned on the counter across from you and Sans.

"Luckily for you, not in the house." You shot her a look sharper than flint, to which she responded with a sharp grin. "His friend is keeping him distracted while I get everything ready." You turned back to carefully swirling the peanut butter frosting around, and Sans paused to admire the way you delicately made little peaks around the edges before shambling out of the kitchen, feeling cramped.

Alphys was watching him, eyes boring into him. He scowled at her, attempting to warn her off from whatever she was planning. Or thinking about. Or whatever the fuck. 

Time slid gradually passed. Mettaton- much to Sans' chagrin- showed up at one point, pointedly searching you out. A little while after that, Grillby appeared, acting as though he was far better than anyone there. At some point, a pouting ghost just kind of appeared from somewhere and lurked around Mettaton. A few monster from the town appeared, until, no matter where you went, it felt crowded. Your cottage wasn't exactly designed for this.

Suddenly, you checked the time, and quickly shushed everyone and closed the blinds. 

"Sans, can you get the cake for me?"

He sighed as if he was tired of being ordered around, but brought it to you- dodging monsters the whole time- and gingerly placed it on the empty space amongst the gifts. The excited but nervous look on your face should have made him laugh.

"you're real excited for something real dumb."

"It's his first birthday, shut up! Y'all all shut up!"

The place fell silent. A few moments later, two young voices floated in from outside and the doorknob rattled before the door swung open- Helvetica dangling from the knob, his armless friend soon propping him up so as to let him down, as both were too short to reach the knob (or rather, lacked the hands to be able to grab it, seeing as M.K. was about a head taller than Vet).

Helvetica looked at the gathering in surprise, rim of feathers lifting around his face.

You threw your arms open. "Happy late-birthday, Vet!"

A chorus of the same went up, and Helvetica broke into a grin, looking both ecstatic and overwhelmed all at once. He ran up and threw himself at you, and you clapped your hands around him and lifted him above your head, where he squirmed happily. You grinned right back at him, looking so genuinely happy that Sans couldn't help but smile right along with you. 

When you lowered him to the floor, Helvetica proceeded to dance in tap-dancing circles for a moment before racing up to the closest monster- which just so happened to be Sans- and throwing his arms around his leg. Sans chuckled, giving the kid's feathers a ruffle, before he raced away to the next monster and repeated the action. M.K. was soon following him from monster to monster, but soon stopped to favor gaping at Undyne instead. 

"Yo! This is so unfair! I want Undyne at my next party!" He eventually barked out, now racing to catch up with Vet. "How did your human manage that?!"

You plopped yourself on the couch to watch the little orange ball of fluff race around, looking tired. Sans chose to recline beside you, as it was logical for the laziest monster around to sit, even if it was beside a human. He thought he caught a flash from Alphys' glasses, but the next moment, she was talking to Mettaton again.

For a while, all was quiet beside the murmur of the party.

"you put a lot of effort into this." He eventually said, looking at you from the corner of his eye. You chuckled quietly.

"I guess. Really worth it to see him so happy." You breathed a sigh of content, smiling as Helvetica wrapped his feathery wings around Alphys' short leg- earning a pat in return- before racing up to Grillby. 

It was then that Sans realized what an odd group they made, all talking and murmuring and bragging amongst themselves. Normally, monsters stayed to their own zones. To see monsters from Hotland comfortably conversing with those from Snowdin was... interesting. It made for a surprisingly comfortable atmosphere. Though he doubted any of them would admit, he knew some of the others felt the same.

Mettaton came up and you chatted with him for a bit- and, oddly enough, Sans found himself not too bothered by it. You were talking to him in an almost distracted way, and it was clear he was only there to blow time, so he supposed it was okay just this once that the hunk of scrap metal could talk to you in his presence. He discreetly tuned into the conversation.

"... humans do for fun?"

"Not a lot that's different from you guys, really. Except the, you know, human killing training part. Kids explore places around their homes or play little games, teenagers mess around and mess things up for laughs, adults kind of just... relax, I suppose. Maybe pick up a hobby, if they're not working too much. Take trips. Do things you have to have money to do." You shrugged. "Our society's could have been identical if monsters weren't so angry, I suppose."

"What an odd world that would have been."

"Odd, but easier for me." You laughed, pointing out a smooth, clean scar on your cheek jokingly. Mettaton chuckled beside you, looking somewhat relieved to have someone to talk to.

You stood and cut the cake at one point, passing out pieces to those who wanted it, slipping what remained into the refrigerator. Helvetica apparently forgot how to use a fork and just kind of stuffed his face into the cake excitedly, tail whipping the hair. Rather than reprimanding him, you chuckled and scratched his spine gently. Most monsters declined the cake offer, though Alphys, Papyrus and M.K. all accepted slices. Papyrus seemed utterly baffled by the fact that it so much as existed, but Alphys and M.K. both commented on how strangely sweet it was. 

The look you gave them was priceless. The only word Sans could think described it was _'Duh?' ___

__Shortly after, you passed a present to Helvetica so he could open it- Alphys' gift. Like Sans predicted, it was a cellphone. Alphys, upon spotting that her gift had been opened, rushed over to brag about her invention and show how it worked to the small monster, though it was clear he was a bit young to have a true use for it yet and she just took it as an opportunity to show off a tad. When she was finished, Helvetica reached up and nuzzled her cheek in thanks, making her shrink away in embarrassment._ _

__You chuckled breathily beside Sans, shooting him a wink as he slipped his phone carefully back into his pocket, camera application just shutting off._ _

__Undyne then came barging through, insisting the scrap open her gift next. You shuffled through the scattering of presents, then lowered the awkwardly shaped (and wrapped) one to Helvetica's awaiting hands. It was obviously heavy, as he nearly instantly dropped it, but the next instant he was gently ripping off the paper as M.K. crowded up beside him._ _

__Beneath the paper was a small helmet, sporting the royal guard insignia and a slot along the top for his feathers to poke through. Undyne helped him fit it snugly upon his head (though he obviously had trouble keeping it up with it on), and the shadows of it made his eyes look large and eerie behind the jutting spikes of it. Undyne hoisted him up and balanced him on her shoulder, parading him around the room briefly. M.K. trailed at her heels, blinking in awe and envy._ _

__"Did she just say he was an honorary member of the Royal guard? You know, the thing that's literally built to kill humans? And he, you know, practically is being raised by one?" You snorted beside Sans, looking amused more than anything._ _

__"by practically do you mean literally?" He snorted right back. He side eyed you sarcastically, only to find you looking at him in surprise._ _

__"Well, I just thought... You know, you guys might want some credit. You guys really do help me out. He wouldn't be where he's at if it weren't for all of you. You especially, to be honest." You averted your gaze, watching as Undyne lowered Vet to the ground, pausing to let him bump his nose against where hers would be as he took off the heavy hunk of metal. "Seriously. Thanks, to all you guys. You especially."_ _

__He studied you briefly. Was that a hint of color on your cheeks, or was it just the lighting? "don't get sickeningly soft on me, here. i don't have the stomach for it."_ _

__You laughed aloud, leaning against the table, relaxed once more. Part of him was relieved. Part of him wondered what you would have said if he hadn't stopped you from continuing._ _

__The rest of the gifts were passed out. Sans was right about Papyrus' being a scarf, 'autograph' and all. Grillby, oddly enough, did bring a gift, which turned out to be a small pocket full of tiny chess pieces. While the majority of the monsters seemed confused by the choice, but Sans noticed you and the fire monster exchange a glance. Someone got him a toy yo-yo, someone else got him a set of small tubes of paint._ _

__You had gotten him- or made, perhaps?- a new sweater, this one decorated with tiny leaves. The next was a puzzle, the kind with far too many small pieces for Sans' liking, and after that some kind of simple adventure novel._ _

__He seemed almost overwhelmed by all the sudden kindnesses, jittering in a circle as his tail whipped excitedly back and forth. He butted his head against your legs, seemingly too excited to standstill for a hug. You chuckled, grabbing his hands and twirling him in a circle._ _

__"Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!" He chattered, butting his nose against your fingers. Sans snorted, though it felt nice to see the kid so happy._ _

__"You're welcome, Vet." You laughed, smoothing his ruffled frill of feathers as you scooped him up into your arms._ _

__"Mom! Mom! Mom!" He chirped, rubbing his cheek against your neck as he squirmed._ _

__You almost seemed to lock up for several moments. Those who had heard what the kid had said all stopped talking and focused in on you and the kid in your arms. Those who hadn't were quickly jabbed and hushed into silence as it seemed the entire room waited for how you would respond. A few seemed conflicted about a monster calling a human their parent, others just seemed to be waiting for what would happen next._ _

__Your response was almost underwhelming. All you did was lower your head to rub your cheek against the top of his head, taking a deep breath. Part of Sans wondered if this was your way of silently defying what the monsters wanted- the soft and mushy gushy crap things humans were known for._ _

__"You betcha, kiddo."_ _

__After a moment, the party resumed. Almost as if nothing had happened._ _

__Eventually, the monsters began to disperse. Mettaton left fairly early- it was clear he was only there not to be rude-, with the handful of townsfolk quick behind him, and Helvetica's friend close behind them. Soon, it was only you, Sans, Alphys, Undyne, and Papyrus who remained. Helvetica was fast asleep in your arms, clearly worn out by all the excitement. Papyrus gave him a surprisingly gentle pat on his way to the door._ _

Sans slipped something into your hand as you passed at one point, not saying anything even when you gave him a confused glance. You peaked inside the box, then smiled softly, and shot him a careful wink before slipping away. You whispered something to Helvetica, then Sans watched as he raced up and flung himself into Sans lap, bumping his nose against his cheek in silent thanks. The small, golden pendant swung around his neck, and Sans carefully tucked it into his sweater, out of sight. 

"yeah, yeah. you're welcome, ya little twit." He ruffled his feathers softly, then lowered him to the floor again. 

The party stretched on into the night. Sans found himself growing tired, even nodding off at one point. He probably should have left a long time ago, but honestly couldn't care less. 

__"Thanks for the free food, punk." Undyne barked out a laugh as she paused in the doorway, Alphys murmuring agreement beside her._ _

__Yes, food. That was clearly why they had come. Obviously._ _

__Sans made to follow them, truth be told tired himself, and so as to not appear too obvious._ _

__"Hey, Sans, can you hold up? I want to show you something."_ _

__He halted, turning to look back at you in faith surprise. You were still cradling Helvetica in one arm, using the chair in front of the painting room to prop yourself up against. That was hint enough._ _

__Without much thought to it, he turned and trailed back inside. Papyrus wouldn't care if he came home after he was already there. Behind him, Alphys and Undyne exchanged a glance before closing the door on their way out._ _

__You paused to pull Helvetica's sweater off and put him to bed before reappearing, giving Sans a crooked, tired smile. You shoved the chair out of the way, then tugged the door open and flicked on a light. The room dimly illuminated, revealing to Sans-_ _

__Nothing he hadn't already seen, unless it was behind the curtain. He gave you a questioning half-glare._ _

__You walked to the center room and, much to Sans' confusion, simply sat in the dust and smudges of dried paint. You looked at him over your shoulder, then patted the spot next to you. Baffled, he begrudgingly shuffled over and slumped down beside you. You picked up a stick nearby and snagged a string down from the ceiling, then reached up and gave it a tug._ _

__He realized there had been a sheet covering part of the ceiling as it fell down beside you. You fell back and lay against the floor and, after a moment, he joined you, shoulder brushing shoulder._ _

__"I did say I would do the stars. Took longer than I thought. Trying to remember the constellations was hell."_ _

__He blinked up in surprise. The swathes of dark blue, indigo, greens, blacks and magentas went oddly well together in a beautiful background to the odd shards and spikes of silver and pale, pale blues and whites, practically glowing against the darks. While it reminded him of the wishing room, it felt much more alive, in a way._ _

__He was suddenly aware of you reaching up with a hand to point some of the specks out. He'd nearly forgotten you were there for a moment._ _

__"You see those three, all in a row and all close together? That's Orion's Belt. The two above it are his shoulders, and the ones below are his legs."_ _

__It was then he noticed the patterns to the random flicks of white. He traced the one you had pointed out, trying to make sense of it._ _

__"I know it's hard to see, but Orion was a human hunter. Bow and arrow and the like. Can't remember much beyond that. I tried to remember where everything was, but I tried to do the Big and Little Dipper." You paused, then chuckled, blinking sleepily. "Don't ask me who decided to name these things."_ _

__You pointed out a handful of other constellations you'd tried to recreate from the surface, all the while sounding somewhat drunk as your fatigue caught up with you. It took a while for it sink in that you had tried to recreate the surface stars- the one thing he wanted to see one day- with the end goal being to share it with him. After while, you trailed off and just lay there beside him, studying the ceiling. He tried to imagine it was real, that he was looking at the real thing through a hole in your roof._ _

__"is that what they really look like?" He eventually asked, quiet in the still room. He saw you blink out of the corner of his eye._ _

__"The best I can do, anyway. I kind of like it, to be honest. I forgot how much I missed the night."_ _

__More silence. You rolled on your side to look at him. He rolled to look back at you._ _

__"Think it's alright? I'm hoping it doesn't disappoint. It's the worst feeling to get your hopes up and then it's just shit."_ _

__"it's..." He looked up at it again, trying to see how you could see a human in 'Orion.' "i think it's pretty cool."_ _

__You chuckled, rolling onto your back. "Glad."_ _

__More silence._ _

__"do you think we'll see the stars one day? all of us. together."_ _

__When you didn't respond, he looked over to find you asleep. Relief and disappointment rose in him, side by side. Relief you hadn't heard what he'd asked. Disappointment you hadn't heard what he'd asked. Then, content._ _

__He looked back up at the ceiling, trying to imagine what it would be like to see such a thing up close and personal. Maybe with you beside him. Hopefully. Ideally. He took a deep breath, allowing his eyes to drift shut._ _

__And so, he slept, shoulder to shoulder with the human he wanted to share a future with._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M.K. stands for Monster Kid. In case it wasn't clear.
> 
> Also, I really wanted to keep the reader gender neutral, but at the same time I wanted to have some mushy gushy moment where Helvetica calls them something sweet?? Kill me. Sorry to any of my dudes out there.
> 
> Fluff garbage is my speciality, I guess??? More scenarios or prompts would be appreciated!! The plot fast approaches. ;)


	17. Family

"What do you say when a stranger wants to give you something nice?"

"Yes!!"

"No! You have to say 'no!'"

"No!"

Sans pushed your front door open to see you and Helvetica sitting on the floor together, you laughing into your hands hysterically. Slightly confused, he shuffled his way over to stand at your shoulder. After a moment, you collected yourself enough to take a few deep breaths and lowered your hands.

"Okay, Vet. What do you say when a stranger wants to /take/ you somewhere nice?"

"Yes!!"

"Noooo! You have to say 'no!'"

"No!!"

You buried your face into your hands again, attempting to stifle your laughter. From behind your hands, you wheezed out to Sans, "We've been at this for a while. I think 'yes' has become his favorite word. Watch this."

Helvetica tilted his head and grinned up at Sans, bright-eyed. Sans lowered himself to sit beside you, curious to see where this was going.

"What do you say when a stranger wants to give you something sweet?"

"Yes!!" Helvetica clapped his hands as he wagged his tail.

You snorted, running a hand over your face. "Nooo! You have to say 'no!'"

"Yes!!"

"No, Vet!" You broke into another laugh, covering your eyes as you leaned back with a groan. Sans snorted beside you, liking the defiant gleam in Helvetica's eye. "No, Vet. You have to say no!"

"Yes!!" He stamped his feet a little, still grinning. His frill of feathers shifted around his head comically as he snubbed his nose. 

"no, buddy. you gotta say 'fu-'" Sans broke off abruptly to laugh when you elbowed him sharply, shooting him a look. He held up his hands innocently. "you gotta say 'no,' buddy."

"Yes!!" Helvetica huffed, clearly pouting this time. Curse this kid's sweet tooth.

Grinning broader, Sans closed his eyes briefly, only reopening them when he was sure his eye was out. Upon reopening them, he grinned down at the little orange monster, leaning slightly closer. "hey, kid. wanna have something sweet?" 

Helvetica stared at him for a few moments, then burst into tears. 

"No!!" He threw himself into your chest, weeping into your shirt.

"Sans!!"

He chuckled, shrugging as if he hadn't done a thing. You scowled at him, though he was sure there was a hint of amusement in your eyes. You smacked him upside the head, huffing as you soothed Helvetica and forced Sans to apologize. 

Okay, maybe that wasn't his best idea.

 

You had said you needed to go out and get some work done, but Helvetica was 'in a mood' (whatever the fuck that meant) so you couldn't bring him along, and thus asked Sans if he would babysit him at your place until your shift was over at 6. He agreed, having nothing better to do, especially considering he could hardly talk with you when you were busy at work, flying up and down the bar to give out drinks or cleaning up some dipshits spill. 

When he first got to your place, he couldn't quite figure why you had said Helvetica couldn't go. He was sitting on the couch, apparently waiting for him, when he got there, hands on his knees as he vacantly swung his legs. Sure, he didn't run up like he usually did, but maybe he was just a little off today. 

"hey, kid. whatcha wanna do? play a game or somethin'?" He stuck his hands in his pockets as he shuffled up to him. He was slightly surprised when the kid didn't answer out loud, simply shaking his head. 

He hopped off the couch and padded his way over to your room, disappearing inside and coming out with Papyrus' autographed scarf draped over his head, covering his face entirely. If that wasn't chuckle-inducing itself, he walked into the doorframe as he exited. Sans couldn't help but snort, which caused the kid to sit down right where he stood, ignoring him. 

"okay then. well, if you need me, i'm right here." Sans chuckled, sitting down on the couch and pulling his hood over his eyes in an attempt to catch some sleep. 

Okay, so the kid was being a little odd. Was that what 'in a mood' meant? He wasn't throwing weapons around, like normal monster kids when they were acting up. He wasn't trying to run away. He wasn't attacking Sans. He was just being kind of quiet. 

Whatever.

For a while, Sans was left in peace and nearly dozed off. Then the couch shifted, and something clambered on top of his stomach. He cracked one eye open to peer down at the kid now sitting on him. The scarf had been moved over enough to allow him to see again, and he was staring at Sans with an unreadable expression. Before Sans could say anything, a board game was shoved into his face. 

"ok."

It was then he discovered what you meant by 'in a mood.' 

As soon as he had the game set up, Helvetica more or less decided he had the first move before Sans could even open his mouth. Every time Sans got distracted or looked away, the kid would mess with his pieces and screwed him up. When Sans first realized, he scoffed.

"oh, that's how it's gonna be? alright."

When he tried to move the pieces back, as soon as he would let go of one to move another, Helvetica would move it back. Rolling his eyes, Sans eventually gave up. 

"well, if that's how you're going to be, go find something else to do."

Helvetica then drew the scarf back over his head and pouted while Sans scooped up the game board and put it out of the way. 

The day went on similarly. Sans attempted to get a smile out of the kid by setting up a game of tic-tac-toe, which ended with Helvetica sitting on the board. Eventually, he gave up altogether and decided that, perhaps, he could make something for you and then claim he had gotten take out for you. He didn't have anything better to do.

Helvetica trailed at his heels as he made his way into the kitchen. He scrambled his way onto the counter as Sans shuffled things around inside of your refrigerator. Well, it looked like you'd gone to the store recently, at least. He pulled out a handful of random monster foods and thus started fishing around your cabinets. It was funny; he'd been around your place often enough to now be familiar with your kitchen and how you arranged it. He felt a bit proud of that, whether it be creepy or not.

He set the the food on the counter as he searched your cabinets for any spice he could find useful. Just as he was attempting to rearrange the small bottles with a wave of his hand, there was a small thump behind him. He paused, then closed the cabinet to see what it was. 

Helvetica was now sitting on the counter beside where he'd placed his armful of items, staring him right in the face with that same unreadable expression. On the floor idly rolled a random fruit. It didn't take long to figure out what exactly had happened while his back was turned. He scowled at the kid as he waved a hand and put the fruit back on the counter.

"try that again, kid, and you're not gonna like what happens next."

Helvetica steadily met his gaze. It was surprising, how defiant he seemed. Maybe he was just going through a phase? Or maybe it was just a one time thing. God, he hoped so. His patience was running thin.

He kept an eye on the kid for a while as he worked, and all the while Helvetica watched him right back. When Sans had previously made food for you- you had been out cold the day after you'd gotten hurt by the guard cats-, he had allowed the kid to taste test the food as a treat of sorts. Now, he purposefully slapped his tiny hands away whenever he reached for anything, food or not.

Served him right.

When he thought it safe to turn away again, he was proven wrong by another small thump behind him. He turned with a scowl on his face while the small bottle of spice rolled past his feet. He kept his eyes locked with Helvetica's when he picked it up again.

"do you want me to have a great time? try that again. i dare you."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Helvetica simply reached out and slapped it off the counter again, staring Sans full in the face the entire time.

When you got home to find Helvetica in 'time out' (obviously not being held by the loose neck of his sweater by a small Gaster Blaster because he refused to sit in the corner), you weren't exactly happy. 

You begrudgingly forgave him when he told you he'd gotten take out, though. Score.

 

Sans slammed your front door open, Helvetica dangling from his right hand as he stomped his way inside, calling your name loud enough for the neighbor's to hear. There was a shuffling sound, and you stepped out of your room, flipping through what seemed to be an old, water damaged book, clearly distracted.

"What?" 

Sans shoved Helvetica in your face, still dangling by the scruff of his sweater, blinking innocently. "keep your kid under control!" He snarled, part of him wanting nothing more than to punish the kid himself. 

"What do you-!" You grumpily lifted your head, looking peeved, though the look dissolved when you looked him in the face. It was quickly replaced by a look of amusement and you snorted as you stifled a laugh. "Oh. Well, I'm hoping you didn't walk through town like that."

It took nearly two hours for you to get the permanent marker off his skull. 

 

"Helvetica, get back here! Get off the ceiling! How did you even get up there?! Sans, help me!" 

"what now?"

"I told him he couldn't have any cookies until he took a bath and somehow he's on the ceiling."

"what in the fuck."

"Fuck??"

"SANS."

 

"Hey, this is a movie from the surface. You get this from the dump or something?"

"Pap did. he thought the kid might like it." 

"Thank him for me. Let's see if that DVD player the shop owner sold me was worth what I payed for it."

Sans didn't understand movies from surface. They were all... odd. Especially the ones Alphys watched and thought no one knew about. You explained that the two main characters were both robots, one from a somewhat post-apocalyptic earth, the other from a 'dystopian-society'-esque ship in space. Helvetica liked the little box shaped one. For whatever reason. Mostly Sans was just annoyed, but felt obligated to stay, what with you practically leaning against him and Helvetica wedged happily between you, Sans' arm laid across the back of the couch behind you. You seemed to like the movie, oddly enough. 

"Thats pretty much what space looks like." You whispered at one point, as the two characters drifted around each other in a cloud of dust particles in the black, sparkling void. "Everything freezes out there, too. That's why there's all that dust. In a vacuum, everything stands still like that, too. Honestly, this movie is really cool."

After that, Sans paid more attention to the background of the scene. It did resemble your painting, and the wishing room, in a way. "how do you even know what space is like?" He scoffed, attempting to come across as disinterested.

"Oh, we've been out there. Outside Earth's atmosphere. To the moon, even."

He narrowed an eye at you. "what kind of idiot to do you take me for?"

"No, seriously!" You laughed under your breath. "Honest. Mars, too."

"Mars?"

"The fourth planet from the sun. The one closest to us, I think? I mean, I don't think humans have been there yet, but we've sent robots there. The most recent thing I remember is we found ice there? Like, water. And organic burps. Signs of microscopic life."

Sans scoffed again.

"Also, we got a picture of Pluto." 

"Pluto?"

"The farthest planet from the sun. Scientists it say it's not even a planet, that its a dwarf planet, but it's a planet to me. Screw them."

Sans snorted out a scoffing laugh.

"When we get to the surface, I'll show you."

He blinked in surprise, turning to look at you. Before he could so much as try to think of a response, Helvetica's tiny hand covered his mouth.

"Shh!!"

He rolled his eyes while you laughed from behind Helvetica's other hand, taking it in your hand and giving it a peck before lowering it. Sans dragged the small palm away from his face with a small sigh, slouching against the couch cushions. 

The movie passed in relative silence. By the time it was over, it was nearly pitch black outside and inside, what with no lights being on. You had fallen asleep near the beginning of the last act, and had ended up slouching against Sans. 

Though he had second thoughts about it- what if you woke?-, he carefully laid his arm across your shoulders, effectively pulling you flush against his side as Helvetica laid across your lap, his chin in Sans' lap. He was blinking sleepily, too tired to care about the slight disturbance. The credits were rolling, but Sans couldn't care enough to turn the television off. He was practically asleep himself, but he didn't want to move from his position nor go through the effort of using his magic.

He was dozing off when suddenly something caused him to blink awake. Helvetica had crawled onto his lap and now had lifted himself up to put his tiny hands on his ribcage, peering into Sans' face. He quirked an eye brow at the kid, too tired to bother with words.

"Sans?" Helvetica whispered, blinking in the half light.

Sans grunted quietly in response. Helvetica moved closer, lifting his hands to put his hands on his cheeks. He stared at him a moment longer, then leaned closer and rubbed his fuzzy nose against first one cheek, then the other. Sans huffed out a snort of laughter as his eyelids drooped. 

Helvetica slumped against him, arms falling to rest on his ribs again as he laid across his stomach and chest. Sans absently ruffled the feathers of his back as he made himself comfortable, ready to go back to dozing again. 

"Sans? Dad?"

Sans blinked sharply awake, staring down at the kid now blearily resting against him, tiny hands gripping his sweater. His soul fluttered in his chest, and for a moment he couldn't speak. 

"... yeah, kiddo?"

"G'nigh'." 

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, chuckling uneasily under his breath. "yeah. good night, kid."

Helvetica a hummed out something that sounded a lot like a purr, nuzzling against his ribs before his eyes drifted closed and his tail fell slack as he near immediately fell asleep. It took Sans a lot longer to fall asleep, staring at the now muted television as the menu played vacantly over and over and over again. 

Eventually, he reached over and waved a hand to pick up the remote and tuned off the television. The light filtering in from outside, bouncing off the snow, turned your skin a ghostly blue and reflected off your hair in a silvery sheen. He tightened his grip on your upper arm slightly, leaning his cheek against the top of your head carefully. It didn't take long for him to drift off in said position.


	18. Something Different

One day, while Sans was out shopping for Papyrus (clearly not because he'd been threatened into doing it), he bumped into you in the small store. You were alone, with an armful of random items in your hands, and seemed just as surprised to see him as he was you.

"Oh, hey. I didn't know you were the shopper of the family." You snorted, falling into step beside him.

"i'm not." He grumbled right back, shooting you a look. 

"Ah, so spike forced you to go out and be productive. I see. What a troubled life you lead." You laughed when he shoved you with his shoulder. "I'm joking. Lighten up a bit, Sans."

He snorted, rolling his eyes, but said no more on the subject. "where's the kid?"

"Hanging out with his friend in Waterfall. I think they were following Papyrus to Undyne's place."

"is he still pissed at Undyne for nearly skewering you?"

"I think she won him over with those peanut butter cookies a few days ago. Lord, that kid and his sweet tooth. I am like, 99% sure it will be the death of him." You sighed, shifting your bag on your arm. Sans snorted. 

"no kidding."

"You want some company? To lighten the load of the burden of shopping when your younger sibling doesn't want to."

He gave an exasperated sigh, but 'begrudgingly' let you tag along. You were apparently already done with your own shopping, and instead helped him out with his own. When he paused to drop a bottle of mustard into his own bag, you eyed him with a oddly curious look.

"Why mustard? Like, of all things."

He shrugged. "why peanut butter? of all things."

"Good point." You laughed, glancing at the assortment of condiments as you passed. "So, what's your favorite kind? I mean, if you have a preference. Is plain yellow better than golden?"

He was pleasantly surprised. If you were curious about his likes and dislikes, did that mean he was winning you over? You had been treating him more and more kindly as the days went by. It didn't seem like too much of an impossibility. 

He shrugged as he rolled out the money to pay for the assortment of goods. "yellow is my go-to, but i'm no stranger to mixing it up."

You hummed as you dolled out your own money as well, soon grabbing your bag. You offered to help him with his own, which he declined. Despite how oddly flattered it made him, he was perfectly capable of carrying his own. Or yours, if you so desired.

 

You followed him into his house and proceeded to help him out away his groceries. It seemed you had memorized his kitchen just as he had memorized yours. The thought made him grin.

"Have you ever dated?"

The question made him fumble with the can of pasta sauce briefly before collecting himself again. "what?"

"You know, have you ever been someone's big bad skele-lover?" You laughed out the last few words, shooting him a wry look. "Or is your heart too dark and mysterious for such mortal folly?" 

He snorted, rolling his eyes to try and hide his warm cheekbones. "nah. i don't know if you realized, but practically everyone down here is a huge prick." 

You broke into a loud laugh, nearly dropping the box of pasta as you had to lean against the counter to catch your breath. "Well. That's not the answer I was expecting. But okay." You snorted out, taking a deep breath before leaning forward and sliding the box of pasta in beside all the others.

"what about you?" The question was out before he could stop himself, and he found he had been watching you closely since the question had come out of your mouth. He set down the can of sauce, opting to lean against the countertop with one hand instead. 

You blinked in surprise, turning to give him a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"have you ever been some ones soft and tender human lover?" He sneered right back at you teasingly, quirking an eyebrow. 

You snorted, rolling your eyes as you reached for another something to put away. "Uh, yeah. I thought we went over this already. On the surface, there was some huge dick I don't like to think about? Remember that?" 

He rolled his eyes right back, shaking his head. "no, i mean down here. any monsters you'd consider giving yourself to?" His fingers scraped across the counter top as a sudden thought occurred to him: what if you said yes, and referenced someone else? What if it was that good for nothing robot? What would he do about it?

You scoffed. "That's a weird choice of words. Are you kidding? No. Who down here would so much as consider me as an equal, let alone an interest? Nah, I'll probably just end up lonely and loveless till I die in this hole in the ground." You shrugged nonchalantly, reaching up to slide whatever you were holding into a free space in the cupboard.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was behind you, his arms on either side of you to keep you from going anywhere. 

"it doesn't have to be that way."

You flinched at his breath on the back of your neck, twisting in the small space he had given you to stare at him, confusion scrawled all across your face. The skin of your arms brushed his hands as you turned. "What?"

"you don't have to be lonely." 

Your eyes searched his, confusion and something else making them crinkle at the edges. He could see all the little details in them this close. He could feel your body heat. He wondered if he could hear your heartbeat. God, how he wanted nothing more than to feel your skin on his teeth.

"Uh, not sure I follow." Was that a hint of nervousness in your voice?

How cute.

"you could always be with me."

Your eyes flicked between his, unreadable. "... Sans?"

"you have no idea how long i've waited to say that." He grinned broader, fingers curling against the counter top beside you. "how long i've wanted you. how long i've wanted you to be mine. mine alone. wanted to make you mine. to feel your skin. your soul." 

His gaze fell to your chest, a smooth flicker skin exposed, practically begging for him to put his hands there, feel the strength of your soul, your pulse beneath his finger tips. He stifled a groan, allowing his head to drop and find a home beneath your chin, teeth against your neck. Your heartbeat was strong in the vein he happened to find, pulsing against his teeth in a feeling he could very, very easily get used to. He drew a deep breath, savoring the feeling of you beneath him, your hands against his ribs, you in such a position that he could easily take your life away if he so wished- so vulnerable. 

He could feel you take a deep breath, feel you swallow. He crushed a noise of content, wanting nothing more than to stay like that forever.

Then, your hands found his shoulders, pushing against them lightly but persistently. 

"Sans."

He paused. Your voice was almost hard, unwavering, insistent that he listen. He had to drag himself away from you, eyes searching your face for a sign as to what he'd done wrong. Your eyes were flashing with what almost looked like fear, but it disappeared when his eyes connected with yours, unreadable once more. Your face was slightly stressed, as if you were fighting to keep a grimace off your face. Your cheeks were flushed.

"Sans. Back up a second." 

You pushed against his shoulders again, and he reluctantly pulled away a little, though still loosely keeping you in place with his arms. He couldn't bring himself to drop them. You took a deep breath, closing your eyes briefly before meeting his gaze.

"Sans, listen. I don't know how best to put it, but I don't think it'd be best to get into a relationship with you."

He couldn't help but blink at you in shock, smile dropping completely. The thought had occurred to him before, that you would reject him. That didn't stop it from hurting like hell. Shit, he hadn't realized it would hurt so much. How could it hurt more than being punched in the face, being stabbed through with a knife? How did that make sense?

"I mean- it's not because you're a monster. I wouldn't mind dating a monster, if there weren't negative implications to it. It's not because you're a skeleton. Hell, it's not because sometimes I just don't get you. In fact, I..." You glanced away, not meeting his eyes. "I can't deny that the thought of being something with you hasn't crossed my mind before and seemed appealing."

Then why not?! He could have screamed, not understanding why you would have declined him if that was the truth. When you looked up to meet his eyes again, he hoped you couldn't see his inner turmoil.

"I just don't want to be in a relationship with someone because I'm... Something different. Different from what they're used to. A novelty. I don't want to turn out to be someone's fetish because I'm someone new and interesting and not what they're used to. Okay? It's just- it's dangerous to get into a relationship where both sides are something they're unfamiliar with. No hard feelings, okay? If I thought this wasn't the case... I could go for it. But as it stands..." 

You shrugged, looking at a loss for words. Nearly as lost as Sans. Was that... really what you thought? And was it really that implausible? He hastily thought it over in his head. Did it make sense, that the reason he yearned for you was because you weren't a monster? Because you were 'something he was unfamiliar with'? 

No. He was certain it was something entirely different from that. It had to be. 

Before he could say anything, you gently lowered one of his arms and slipped out from in front of him, scooping up one of your bags along the way. You paused in the kitchen doorway, looking over your shoulder at him, still standing where you'd left him, still unsure what to do.

"I'll see ya later, Sans." 

With that, you turned around and headed out the door again. Realizing you were slipping out from between his fingers, he lurched to his senses and quickly moved to stop you.

"hey, wait-!"

The door closed behind you. The sound it made was very... dismissive. Sans dropped his arms to his sides, feeling as though someone had grabbed his soul and squeezed till it broke. He stood there, alone in the suddenly quiet kitchen, uncertain what to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't fret, he won't give up yet. ;P
> 
> Now, which would you prefer to see, a more light hearted attempting to win reader over, or a slightly ansgty(?) attempt to win them over? Let me know in the comments!


	19. Ache

Why did it have to hurt so much? It wasn't even a physical pain. There wasn't an injury to patch. There was no proof of it beside the lack of sleep he'd gotten over the past three days and his even-worse-than-usual attitude. No amount of green magic would sooth it away, and that's what pissed him off the most.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to shut down and never speak again. He wanted to destroy anyone who came within twelve feet of him. He wanted to sit and do nothing until the end of time. He wanted to go out and find something to take his frustration out on. He wanted to sleep forever. 

Why did you have to make him feel? Why did you have to get into his head? He could have perfectly content hating you until another human fell and they all got out of there, or whatever else happened. 

No, he couldn't. And that's what made him hate himself all the more. You- you, of all creatures!- had stolen his soul and made it your own without permission, and he had no chance of winning yours because he was a creepy, sweaty skeleton who you thought was only in it for a different kind of fuck. But he wasn't, he knew he wasn't. Otherwise it wouldn't hurt so much. 

But you didn't know that. Even if you returned his feelings, all you saw was some weirdo drooling after you and it made him want to scream.

(but, clearly, he didn't care. not in the slightest.)

So, what did he do? Why, what all self respecting folks do when they're down on their luck and stuck in an emotional rut. 

...

He went and got as drunk as fuck at the local bar. 

He thought, perhaps, it would help him forget his romantic strife as it had helped him forget about the infinite loop he found himself in on the days he simply couldn't stand another second of this hell. It didn't. Mostly it just made him care less about who saw. 

But fuck it, right?

(Un)fortunately for him, you decided to show up with your kid and sit a few seats down the bar when he wasn't looking. He was busy drooling into his glass of whiskey when he snapped into focus upon hearing your voice down the bar-

"Hey, Grillby. No, I don't know what I want yet. Apparently Vet's hitting his picky phase."

He looked up, blinking blearily in disbelief, just in time to see the fire monster crackle out a chuckle at your words, reach out and give Vet a pat before walking away. You didn't seemed to have noticed him- at least, you weren't looking at him- but from what he could tell, you didn't seem to be in the same state that he was. The realization brought a sour grimace to his face; even if you felt for him, you apparently weren't torn up by the thought that he might want nothing more than a one night stand. 

But then, you had a kid to take care of; you couldn't afford to brood for days on end when someone was depending on you like that. The thought didn't occur to him.

Sans muttered to himself, turning back to his whiskey and nearly spilling it over his hands as he fumbled with it. He scowled down at his hands, fighting the urge to blast a hole in the counter top.

"Behave, Vet." The sound of claws scraping against the counter top- probably from you dragging Helvetica away from wherever he was trying to go. "Sit down, buddy."

"Sans!!"

Oh, fuck him. He dragged his gaze up to see the kid excitedly staring at him from where was sitting at your side, hands enthusiastically patting at the counter top when Sans met his gaze. He seemed to happy to see him. At the very least, you hadn't told your kid Sans was to be avoided at all costs. 

You looked up in surprise, following Helvetica's gaze and meeting Sans' eyes a millisecond after his found yours. You seemed a bit shocked to see him there, and it took Sans a moment to remember that he had been locked away from the world for three days straight. 

"Hey, Sans. Didn't know you were here." Your gaze flicked to the whisky in his hands, then back up to his eyes, where you watched him carefully while you scooped up Helvetica with one hand and casually placed him on your other side, farther away from Sans, with you between them. 

"ey." He grumbled out, narrowing his eyes at you slightly. You weren't wearing your usual Snowdin jacket, and he spotted it draped half on the countertop beside you. Your shirt sleeves were rolled up, with flecks of color still staining the front and ends of the sleeves. Fuck it, why did you always have to look so... nice? 

Part of him desperately wanted to reach out and hold your hand, to feel some part of you. A large part. A very, very large part.

The other part told him to keep cool.

"You doing okay there? You look kind of... off." It was clear you only chose that word to be polite. For the first time in days, he wondered how he must look.

Why did you have to be so nice?! Why did you have to worry for him, even when you thought his confession was a false one? Why did it still serve to make his soul thrum in his ribcage? "'m fine." 

"If you say so." A pause. You looked away to ruffle Helvetica's feathers. "Listen, uh. Sorry. About the other day." 

Something compelled him to shoot you a blood curdling grin, narrowing his eye sockets at you. "oh, no hard feelings. being shut down when you try to confess how you feel for someone is really no big deal."

Part of him was vaguely aware of the bar quieting down slightly, of gazes shifting to observe the spectacle.

You chuckled under your breath, not meeting his gaze. "Hey, it's kinda funny; most people wouldn't go after someone with a kid. Turns out to be a real turn off." 

Something about that- about you making a joke out of his feelings, making a subtle jab about the fucking thing- just made him absolutely furious and his magic shot out before he could remind himself to be cool. His whiskey glass shattered against the far wall as he ground his teeth. 

"do you really think this is a fucking joke?"

Your gaze carefully tracked on him, even as you reached around, picked up a quivering Helvetica (most likely startled by the loud noise more than anything else) and passed him to Grillby's waiting hands. He barely registered the fire monster slipping through the fire exit with the kid in his arms. He hardly noticed the flash of irritation and indignation in your eyes.

Sans stormed up to you, seething and confused and drunk as hell, and still feeling the resonating ache of wanting you. You twisted in your seat to face him, expression careful and cautious. The bar was silent.

"what, you think it's funny when you make someone fall hard for you, and when they try to get it off their chest, you assume they're just horny for a new fuck?" He sneered, looming over you the best he could. Your eyes flicked between his glowering ones. "you think it's funny, when you make me so god damn confused? when you make me feel all kinds of bullshit that screws with everything in my head?" 

You didn't respond. As he spat out the words, his anger dissolved to be replaced with yearning and desperation and that stupid fucking ache. His glare softened and disappeared. He reached out for you, paused, then took one of your hands in his own. You seemed confused by the sudden change, unsure how to react to his drunken rambling. 

God damn, your hands were soft. Comfortable in his own. Warm as he probed at all the dips and plains that it offered. He brought it closer to his face and pressed it to his teeth softly. Tears- for whatever reason- filled his eye sockets, but he couldn't care enough to blink them away.

"you make so confused, you know that? who do you think you are, coming down here to my hell and making me all kinds of fucked up? just want to make you safe 'nd happy. make me feel all stupid when you laugh at my jokes. stupid good. fuckin'..." He trailed off, hazy vision focusing on your hand in his larger ones. 

You looked baffled, but... something- guilt, maybe?- made you frown slightly. "Sans?" 

"you make me hate myself. hate that i fuckin' feel this way. hate that i don't know what to do about it. hate that i'm such a fuckin' moron." He brushed his teeth to your hand again, wanting to get used to the feeling of it. "fuck. just my luck that i would come across as an ass when i..." He shook his head, losing his train of thought. "stop making me hate you." 

"Sans..." You sighed, looking conflicted, though there's something faintly annoyed about your expression. You don't draw your hand away. 

Behind him, some monster muttered not very quietly, "I could think of a hundred better reasons to hate 'em, and one of 'em is hiding in the kitchen right now." 

Sans snarled, dropping your hand in favor of crashing the offending monster into the far wall, then the left wall, then the right. The monster- Catamy, it turned out- stifled a shriek of surprise and pain as Sans dragged him threateningly close by his now blue soul, sneering into his face.

"you wanna run that by me again, pal?"

"It was a joke! It was a joke! I swear!" The cat panicked in his grip, dropping the burning roll of catnip from between his jaws as his fur fluffed up in alarm. A trickle of blood ran down his face from his tattered ear. The entire bar was watching in anticipation.

"don't you fuckin' make a joke out of my human and my kid, you hear me?" He snarled into their face, fully prepared to dust the annoying little scrap of fur and magic. 

Before he could turn him into a bone pin cushion, something sharply smacked the back of his head. In his surprise and disorientation, he dropped the cat and the bones dissolved. He turned, fully prepared to dust two monsters today, but upon seeing it was only you, looking quite peeved and perhaps a little pissed with your hands planted in your hips, his anger dissolved right along with the bones.

A sickeningly sarcastic grin spread across your face. "You know, I came out tonight thinking I could grab a quick bite to eat with my kid, maybe get a bit of fresh air, maybe run into a friend. But, ohhh, no! I got something so much better, didn't I?" 

You stepped closer, expression souring further. "Oh, yes. I sit down at the bar, not even five minutes later, and you start sputtering out curses. How lovely, right? Oh, even better!"

You step closer again, leaning into his face, now with a leer on your face. "You start a bar fight. Great life lessons for a kid not even two years old, right? Let's not forget the cherry on top, yeah?"

You grabbed the front of his hoodie, pulling him up enough so that his heels lifted off the ground. "You're drunk off your ass! What do you think you're doing, you idiot? You seriously think this was smart? Not just drinking off whatever your problems may be, but doing literally everything I told you not to in front my kid?! What do you have to say for your sorry self?"

It took a moment for what you'd just said to sink in. He was a bit lost in how nice you looked this close, even pissed off. He blinked at you, bleary and tired and wanting to reach out and hold your face in his hands. 

"... sorry."

"Yeah, I hope so."

You glared at him a moment longer, then turned and swept your glare across the bar. Monsters quickly looked away from your gaze, though some stared pointedly back at you. You looked over your shoulder at Grillby, nodded once, then turned back to Sans. He was slouching now, still blinking at you stupidly through his drunken stupor. You sighed, expression relaxing as you heaved one of his arms over your shoulders.

"Come on, stupid. Let's get you home."

You pulled him out the door and helped him stagger through the snow in the direction of his house. He slumped his head to the side to lean it against your shoulder, faintly hearing your pulse. Why were you being so nice to him? Even in his drunken haze, he knew he'd just been a huge dick and you should hate him even more than you did before. Had you paid attention to what he'd said? What had he said? What did it matter? He'd already botched all his chances with you. 

But you were helping him home.

You were more than halfway there when he stopped and wouldn't move any farther. You staggered as you tried to keep moving and couldn't, giving him a confused look before dropping his arm and twisting to face him, keeping a hand on his shoulder to keep him steady.

"Sans? I can't carry you. You're too heavy."

He grabbed your hand and pressed it to his cheek, closing his eyes to briefly savor the feeling. "go out on a date with me."

You sighed, studying his expression tiredly. "Sans, you're drunk."

"go out on a date with me."

"You don't know what you're saying."

"go out on a date with me."

"Sans, you'll fall asleep and when you wake up, you won't remember any of this."

"go out on a date with me. please. i'm not in it for a fuck. i just want you. just let me prove it."

"Sans..."

"please."

You sighed, looking away, though you didn't move to take your hand away. "I don't know how I got myself into this mess." You looked at him carefully for a few moments, then pulled out a note pad and pen and pulled your hand away. 

He looked at you, confused and expecting another rejection as you scribbled something down on the paper. After a moment, you ripped it off and, to his surprise, grabbed his hand and stuck it to his palm. Baffled, he blinked at it for several moments before it came into focus. 

'Come find me and prove you're serious when you're sober.

(Y/N)'

"If I tell you now, there's no way you're going to remember, if monster alcohol is anything like human alcohol. Now, come on, you're falling asleep standing up. Dumbass." 

You dragged him the last few feet to his house, then pretty much dropped him on the couch. You went shuffling through a closet for a moment, then returned with a blanket which you threw over him, then you disappeared into the kitchen. He closed his eyes for a moment as a wave of tiredness hit, and the next time he opened them, you were setting a glass of water and what looked like pain killers on the table beside him. His eyes sluggishly followed you as you moved around the couch to make for the door, blinking when you stopped. You looked at him for a moment, then opened the door and stepped out without another word. 

He let out a long breath, curling up as a wave of nausea hit. Something crinkled in his palm, but he was already too tired to care.

 

"Thanks for watching him, Grillbz."

"No trouble. Though he did ask what a fuck was several times."

"Please tell me you didn't..."

"I choose not to answer."

"Dick."

"Quiet, he may wake up and hear you."

An angry snarl.

"Human."

"What? I have to get home before he wakes up and gets cranky."

"... Nothing."

"Come on, out with it."

"About Sans."

"Yeah, color me ninety nine shades of stupid, but I'm considering."

"I haven't seen him like that in ages."

"We had a... fight, I guess. Don't probe about it."

"I see."

"You share this with the town and you'll find a bucket of ice water waiting for you in the morning."

A crackling chuckle.

"Try me, firefly." 

"I'd never say a word."

"Sure, mister sarcasm. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this come across as guilting reader into agreeing?? I tried to make it not come across that way, but,, I think I failed. Oops. 
> 
> Yeah, I know, a lot of you wanted fluff, but... It almost seemed out of character to not have angst beforehand?? Does that make sense?? Fluff comes next, I promise. 
> 
> I rewrote this garbage like four times I'm sorry


	20. Dork

When Sans woke, it was with muddled thoughts and a pounding head ache. 

He glared into the darkness of his home for several moments before sitting up and wiping the drool away from his jaw. Well, at least he was in his house and not outside or who knows where, like that one timeline where he somehow ended up... God, damn, what happened yesterday and why did it hurt to try and remember? He went to Grillby's to get slammed, and... Something else.

He rubbed the ridge of bone between his eye sockets, debating going back to sleep until the side affects of such strong alcohol faded away and gave him his memories back. 

There was a glass of water and painkillers sitting beside him. Huh. Well, who was he to deny luck when it chanced upon him? He downed the pills and water in one go, and as he lowered the glass, something scratched irritatingly against his palm. 

Scowling, he turned his hand over to find a crinkled up piece of paper stuck there. The hell...? He pulled it off and smoothed it out enough to read it. 

'Come find me and prove you're serious when you're sober

(Y/N)'

The memories of the previous day came crashing down on him like the mountain caving in on top of him. And with them, they brought a rush of anxiety and fear.

He'd gotten drunk as fuck. You'd come in, said some kind of joke. He'd thrown something. He'd cursed in front of your kid. He'd drunkenly rambled about you. Some monster had talked bad about you and he'd nearly dusted them for it (even sober, he felt the little mite deserved it). You had scolded him. Taken him home. Given him a chance.

What was that chance worth? He didn't have a snowballs chance in hell at this point. He strained the dregs of his memory, trying to recall exactly what he'd said. Good fuck, what was he doing?! If he'd blown it before, he'd just about nuked his chances now. He wouldn't be surprised if you ignored him. Hated him, even. Not a snowballs chance in hell... 

He forced himself to stand, trying to calm the frantic scrabmbling going on inside his skull. It had been ages since he'd last had an anxiety attack. 

God, he felt gross. Both physically and mentally. He flung his jacket off, dragging a hand over his face. He should shower. Maybe there, he'd think up some idea as to what to do next. 

 

It didn't take long to find you on his radar- the only human soul in the entire underground (only truly living one, anyway), though Helvetica's resonated almost similarly. Helvetica was close by- probably being watched by Papyrus as he and his friend played around Snowdin or somewhere similar. Papyrus' excuse for agreeing to your request to babysit was that, as another fellow member of the royal guard, it was his duty to watch over the absolutely harmless and not-at-all-suited-for-'Royal Guard'-status kid. 

It did actually take a second for him to locate you, though- he thought you'd be in Waterfall, or in your home, but you were farther out than that. Somewhere in Snowdin's forests. He remembered the night of the blizzard, when you had stormed away from him because he was an ass and was clueless to the kid you were trying to save, when you had nearly...

You wouldn't do that now. Not over something so trivial as a gross, sweaty, bastard of a skeleton. Not over him. Still, the realization sent a chill down his spine. 

He'd been debating avoiding you or actually taking advantage of your 'prove it' note. While he knew it was probably some kind of joke, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, even after he got drunk off his feet, after he'd gotten violent and moody and pathetic right in front of your kid, maybe you still saw something in him. 

Not a snowballs chance in hell.

That didn't stop him from putting his hoodie on and stepping out into the snow to go in search of you. Just to make sure you were okay. He couldn't recall if he'd hurt you or not, and the thought terrified him. 

Apparently, the entire town knew what had happened. He could feel their eyes on him, on all sides of him, watching him as he made for the frost bitten woods. Judging him. Studying him. Gaging his reactions. For a second, he thought he saw pity or sympathy in one monster's gaze. He had to have been mistaken. No way in hell...

He was right about Helvetica playing in Snowdin. He was building something out of snow with his armless friend, which looked kind of ridiculous considering his friend had to push the snow around his head or tail to be of any use at all. Still, they were managing fairly well, it seemed. Papyrus was propped up against a tree nearby, attempting to appear aloof while still keeping his eyes carefully on the duo.

When Helvetica spotted Sans, he brightened and quickly raced up to put his hands on Sans' legs, grinning like he was the best thing he'd sees in ages. "Sans!"

Another sharp stab of guilt ripped through Sans. Well, at least you hadn't warned your kid away from him... He put on a fake grin and patted the kid's head, ruffling his feathers in the process. "hey, kiddo. having fun?"

Helvetica nodded enthusiastically, looking over his shoulder at his friend. MK was staring at Sans, almost studying him. Even when he met his gaze, he continued to look at him. Had he heard about whatever happened at the bar? It was very likely. Gossip spread like wildfire around here. 

"you take care of yourself, kid. i've got something to attend to." He gave the kid one last pat, then pushed him back towards his playmate. Vet paused to hug his leg, then raced back to the mounds of snow. 

Papyrus was watching him, but it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. After a moment, he turned his attention back to the kids and payed no more mind to his brother. Was he ashamed of him? Ashamed of have such a pathetic monster as an older sibling? 

As Sans walked away, he thought the armless monster asked something about parents.

Sans avoided all other monsters gazes as he trekked through Snowdin, shoulders hunched. It was very still today; no manufactured breeze ruffled the underground treetops or stirred the smooth surface of the snow. Nothing at all like that night, nearly two years ago...

He crunched his way through the snow past his sentry station, which looked unused. Still no sign of you, though there were indentations in the snow to suggest someone had been through at some point today. He kept walking, the trees very still as he passed. Somewhere, ice snapped, or maybe a tree branch broke. He passed that stupid bridge with that worthless 'gate.'

He found you sitting in front of the door to the ruins, staring up at the Royal insignia imprinted there. You looked almost calm sitting there in the near complete silence. He was almost afraid to step closer and break the fragile moment. He wondered what was going through your head. 

After several moments of hesitation, he shuffled closer, attempting to make noise so as to alert you to his presence. It worked. You turned your head a little to look at him over your shoulder, then turned back to the massive purple wall. He was wondering if that was a silent request to leave, then you pushed yourself to your feet and stood.

He came a little closer. "ey."

"Hi." 

Silence. What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say? He chose to shuffled closer, nearly at your shoulder now.

You took a deep breath, then turned to face him. It was as if you were expecting something.

"... sorry about yesterday, at Grillby's." He paused, eyeing you over quickly. "didn't hurt you, did i?"

You looked faintly surprised. "No. Though you nearly poked Catamy full of holes." You chuckled under your breath, looking away. "Don't worry about it. People do stupid things when they're drunk."

"i shouldn't have gotten drunk."

"Well, hey. You know the saying. Broken people break things. And I'm pretty sure we both know no one down here is 100% alright." You shrugged as if it was no big deal. Then, your gaze sharpened. "But, hey, you do it again and I swear to god you will have hell to pay. This is your get outta jail free card, and it's the only one you're getting. You get me?"

God, he could have wept in relief. You didn't hate him. He didn't hurt you. You were still your usual self. You were still his friend. You were still tolerating him. He still didn't stand a snowballs chance in hell, but at least things were okay.

"i get you." 

"Good. Now, what's up? You really come all the way out here to say sorry?"

"mostly." He looked away, feeling the slip of paper in his pocket. "... you still game for the proving it thing?"

You looked surprised again. "Part of me was expecting you to pretend like none of that ever happened." He cringed, tightening his grip on the slip of paper. "But, hey, I said I would. And if you're willing to put the effort into it, I might as well get my hopes up about this."

His soul fluttered in his chest. Even snowballs in hell deserved a lucky break every now and then. "okay. so... go out on a date with me?"

You laughed, though you avoided his gaze. "Sure. What have I got to lose?" You took a few steps away from the ruins, then paused and looked back, eyes surprisingly sad and troubled.

"I wish I could take you guys to the surface."

He blinked at you in surprise. You stepped back to the doors, pressing a palm against the surface. 

"Or at least to the Ruins. I wish Toriel would just come around and open the door. There was a place in there- the place I fell in- where you can see through a small hole in the roof. It's not a lot, but you can see the sky and some clouds if it's just right. If there's anything I miss, it's the sky. Hell, I even miss those stupid yellow flowers..." You sighed, turning away and dropping your hand. "Anyway. Show me what you've got up your sleeves."

He grinned, extending a hand for you to take. "c'mon. i know a shortcut."

 

"Sans, I don't even know how to skate. I don't even have skates!"

Sans stood on the huge expanse of the frozen lake, still waiting for you to take his hand. You stood on the shore, arms crossed as you glared at him, clearly peeved. He chuckled, still waiting for you to give in.

"You suck at first dates."

"just come on and trust me."

"Oh, yeah, and make a huge fool of myself as I slip and slide all over the place as you laugh your ass off. Sure. Sounds peachy."

"come on. trust me."

You growled, snorting as you looked away, though he noticed the defeated sag to your shoulders. A moment later, you took a hesitant step closer and put your hand slowly in his as if half expecting a joke. He folded his hand around yours, liking how your fingers fit perfectly between his. With one gentle tug, he brought you gliding out onto the ice beside him, grinning at the momentary panic that lit in your expression as your grip on his hand tightened.

"Sans, you're insane!!"

"only for you."

He pulled you into an arch, then let go at the last second. You slid across the ice, far away from him before coming to a halt. You shrieked at you did, quickly spreading your legs and arms as you nearly lost your balance. You held your breath as you came to a stop, clearly expecting for your feet to go shooting out from under you, then let out a sigh when nothing happened. Your head shot up to glare at him fiercely.

"You're a dick!"

He chuckled as he glided his way over to you, swinging around you in an easy circle. "come on. it's not that hard."

You glared at him for a few moments longer, then blinked as you narrowed your eyes at his feet. Realization lit up in your eyes, and you lifted one of your feet to check your own soles. A faint red glow told you all you needed to know, apparently.

"You little cheater!" 

"think of it as magic skates."

"You didn't think I'd want to know?!"

"you're so cute when you're pissed, though."

"Piss off."

He chuckled, gliding closer and taking one of your hands in his, then the other. You continued to give him a rather grumpy look, even as he pulled you into figure eights and smooth circles and twirls. Eventually, it dissolved to be replaced by quiet awe as you directed your gaze upward- for once, you could see all the way to the roof of the cavern, where huge icicles hung from stalactites like natural boobytraps. After a moment, you took a chance to look around at the frost bitten area, glittering in the perpetual half light of the underground. 

When you looked back at him, your expression was softer, more relaxed as a smile crooked the edges of your mouth upward. Your breath came out in a cloud as you laughed and flung your head back, hair ruffling in the breeze as he turned you sharply around. 

Eventually, he slowed you to a stop, but didn't let go of your hands. You took a few deep breaths, seemingly exhilarated by the 'dance' of sorts. After a moment, you directed your gaze back to him, seemingly questioning him. He chuckled, looking away and dropping one of your hands.

"That was pretty neat, if I can be entirely honest."

"what, you really think that was all i've got up my sleeves?"

You closed your eyes, and, in a blink, the sound of rushing water filled the air. You slowly opened your eyes and glanced around, an unimpressed look settling on your face.

"The dump. Gee. How thrilling. Yes, it's quite the romantic hot spot, I've heard. Couples from all over come to look for garbage here together."

"just follow me."

He kept ahold of one your hands, leading you over the waterlogged and rotting planks of wood that acted as bridges from one mound of dry dirt to the next. You weaved through mounds of garbage, looking confused more than anything. For a moment, he was afraid he didn't remember where it was, then it came into sight around a bend- a patch of bright, pale yellow, like sun light dropped to earth.

"you said you missed those yellow flowers? don't know if these are the same, but..."

You paused upon spotting the large patch of buttercups, confusion falling away. You let his hand drop away from yours as you walked slowly through them to the center, bending down to brush your fingers over the fat, heavy flowers. After a moment, you dropped to your knees and brought one to your face.

For a few long moments, nothing happened. He came up and sat beside you. The flowers were surprisingly soft and flexible, comfortable to sit upon. They gave off a faint, fresh smell. 

"Yes. They're the same." You eventually sighed out, gently running your fingers along the petals of one. "... How did you know these were here?"

"used to spend a lot of time here as a kid."

"Hm." A pause. "Thank you."

"no problem."

"Not just for this. But... For a lot of things."

Silence.

"... Did you really mean all that stuff you said? About me. About how I make you feel. Or was that just stuff to try and win me over. Tell the truth."

"i meant it."

"Okay."

"you really thought i didn't?"

"Well, I mean... That day, in your house, when you first confessed, you kind of scared me. You had your teeth at my throat, literally. I didn't know what to think, so I just... took the fast track for self defense, I guess."

"sorry."

"Im sorry. For jumping to conclusions. It wasn't right."

"nah."

More silence.

"If you actually want to, you know, be in a relationship. We've gotta have some rules."

"okay?"

"First off, go slow there, bucko. One more move like that and you'll lose my trust in your self control."

"gotcha..?"

"Also, keep Vet in mind. If we get into this, just because you're my... boyfriend, I guess, doesn't mean I'll put you over him any day. He's my kid. I can't just compensate his happiness for yours."

"right. any others?"

"I don't know. I'll make them up as I go."

"... does this mean... we're a thing now?"

"I don't know. Do you still want to be?"

"i don't know. do you want me?"

"Then yes, I suppose. Now come on, I've still gotta kid to look after. Your brother won't wait forever."

You stood and dusted yourself off, extending a hand to him. He took it with a grin and a fluttering in his chest. In a blink, you were back in Snowdin. You made a move to head for where Helvetica and his friend were playing, but he pulled you up short. When you turned to give him a confused look, he simply gently squeezed your hand before letting it go.

"thanks."

You smiled softly. "... You're a huge dork. Now come on. Before your brother blows a fuse."

 

"OH MY GOD, PLEASE TELL ME YOUVE FINALLY MADE UP."

"What?"

"SANS HAS BEEN DOING NOTHING BUT SULKING FOR THE PAST FOUR DAYS! ITS RIDICULOUS."

"Sans!! Up?"

"c'mere, twerp."

"I'm sure you'll live, spike. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to raid your fridge for something to eat."

"SANS, CONTROL YOUR HUMAN!"

"do it yourself."

"YOURE IMPOSSIBLE!"

"so is controlling them. but, hey, you got one thing right."

"WHAT?!"

"they are mine."

A laugh as you shoved his shoulder. 

"I told you you're a dork."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so clumsy and awkward and rushed but I tried and I'm exhausted so this is what you get
> 
> ,,, srry lol


	21. Author's Note!!

First of all, thank you all so much for all the kudos and comments?? Like, seriously. You guys are the best.

Second, I'm now accepting prompts or ideas of the romantic nature! Or just couple + kids things. Keep in mind I will stick to primarily SFW things. ;P Leave anything you'd like to see in the comments! As the fic goes on, Helvetica will grow progressively older, so keep that in mind, as well! He will probably end up going to school with all the shenanigans that apply there, too! ;) 

Have a lovely day, wherever you are!! <3


	22. Little Changes

Sans' new relationship with you isn't that different from the old.

There's still the teasing, still the pushing, still the picking on, but it's all still affectionate. There's no malice in the actions. No grudge. Nothing like two years ago. There's no heated kisses nor lingering touches full of want. Not a lot has changed. He finds he doesn't mind.

Because there are some things that have changed. They're small, and they're coming slowly, but they're there and he knows it and it fills his soul with a happy hum. He's no longer afraid to let his hand brush yours and get slightly flustered when you catch him doing it, no longer afraid to gaze at with you with that stupid grin on his face, no longer afraid of being caught doing it. He's no longer 'begrudgingly' kind or affectionate with Helvetica. 

He's not the only one who's demeanor has changed. You sometimes grab his hand and give it a soft squeeze before letting it go, or you'll sometimes grab his hand as you walk along together, if only briefly. You give him small, warm smiles, or large, happy ones, or throw your head back and laugh at his jokes where you only snorted before. 

It's wonderful.

He's beginning to wonder if Helvetica noticed any change at all. Mostly he's just been happy to see you and Sans together so often, it seems. It's like he's already gotten used to the idea. Papyrus, on the other hand, claimed he was not surprised but he's still exasperated with his brother for picking a human, of all creatures, as a mate. He also, apparently, doubts that anything is actually happening, and says he hasn't seen a single hint of proof yet and until he does he doesn't believe it. Sans, though slightly annoyed, knows what kind of proof his slightly oblivious brother has in mind. 

Kisses of any kind have yet to come, but he can wait; for now, he's okay with savoring the brief touches of your skin he gets. 

So it hurts when, one night, you're sitting in your house with snow falling outside in the twilight of the underground with him right beside you, and he reaches out and accidentally brushes your wrist, you flinch away from the touch. For a moment, he wonders if you're disgusted with him and feels a swell of self loathing. Then he catches the way you rub your wrist, the wince on your face, and the tide of anxiety dies down slightly. 

"you alright?"

You wave him off, pushing yourself to your feet. "Course. Come on, Vet. You're falling asleep sitting up. Bedtime, kiddo."

"No!" Helvetica yawns weakly in protest, then snuggles into you as you pick him up. You disappear in your room for a few minutes, then come out and close the door softly behind you. You stretch with another wince, coming back into the living room.

Sans is slightly confused when you sit on the floor rather than beside him and feels another pang of doubt. Then you lie on your back, crossing your arms on your stomach. You make another face, shifting slightly, then settle. For a while, nothing happens.

"so... what are you doing?"

You squirm again, seemingly grinding your teeth. "Lying on the floor."

"okay. but... why?"

"Helps relax joints a little bit." 

You shift again, making a slight noise, and it's then that he decides to slide off the couch to sit beside you. You open one eye to look at him, then sit up to raise an eye brow at him questioningly. He takes the chance to glance you over, noticing the signs of stress around your eyes and the signs of wear on your hands, the redness of your wrists. There's a handful of band aids scattered across your fingers, he realizes. 

"... What?" You give him a slightly confused look, side eyeing him.

"you sure you're alright?" 

You shrugged, looking away as if you didn't care. "Pretty sure. Doesn't matter."

"if you're sure, why did you confirm it doesn't matter?" His suspicions prickled stronger, fingers itching for something to do. It was clear not everything was alright, and you were just being stubborn about it. 

You shot him a frown that practically screamed 'just drop it.' He didn't take the hint. His gaze fell to your wrists again, and he carefully took one of them in his own. You huffed, looking away. There were a lot of little nicks in the skin, closely followed by signs of misuse. When he probed at a particularly red area, you quickly drew your hand away. 

"what's going on? did you grab a fistful of glass or something?" He felt a prickling of protectiveness and, perhaps, a bit of hurt. Didn't you trust him? He remembered the time your side had been cut clean open and you had asked him to help you out the day after. Why weren't you doing the same now?

You rolled your eyes. "Some guy broke a glass at Grillby's today. It's not a big deal."

"didn't he have monsters do stuff like that?" He specifically remembered the monster had assigned certain monsters to undesirable tasks, ones who couldn't get hurt while doing them because of what they were made of. 

"Had."

"what?"

"Had. Used to."

"well, where are they? where could they possibly have gone where they couldn't take care of it?" He scowled. It was beginning to look like he'd have to have a talk with Grillby.

You sighed, looking away. "It's not a big deal. Just drop it."

"you're avoiding the question."

"You're not going to like the answer." 

His magic prickled. "just tell me."

You let out an exasperated breath. "They got fired or quit. There you go."

"why?"

"When you got drunk at Grillby's, you kind of made a show for the audience. And anyone who was working. I think Grillby fired a handful because they were gawking about it or were planning to... rough me up. He didn't say. Several others quit because I don't know. Don't ask me. I just work there."

Sans felt a sharp stab of guilt. You were getting hurt as a result of some stupid thing he did. He reached out and took one of your hands again, running a careful thumb over the hot, red swelling.

"We've been a little short on hands the past few weeks, so I've had to pick up a bit. That's all. I told you, it's not a big deal." You looked away, snorting under your breath. 

"if you're hurt because of some idiot thing i did, i'm pretty sure it's a big deal." He snapped right back. 

"Honestly, Sans. I'm not made of glass. Chill." You rolled one of your shoulders and winced.

"does your back hurt?"

"Not a lot. Doesn't matter. It'll go away." You pressed a hand to your lower back, then hissed under your breath. "Okay, maybe a lot. Still doesn't matter."

His hands itched to do something. "isn't there something i can do?"

"Sans, it doesn't-"

"just let me help, damn it."

You shot him a sharp look, eyebrows furrowed. "Watch it."

"sorry."

"If you're that stupidly antsy, fine. I don't know what you want to do, but okay. Just keep it tame. Otherwise you're getting kicked into next Tuesday."

You lied back down, seemingly thinking he wouldn't think of anything to do. He mulled it over for several minutes, then asked you to roll over. You gave him an odd look, but complied. He hovered his hands over your shoulders, hesitated, then carefully pressed his palms into the tense muscle. You flinched at the touch, and he felt the tendons snap taught under his hands.

"does that hurt?"

"Kind of. Are you seriously giving me a massage?"

"always was kind of curious about human anatomy."

You snickered under your breath. No need to mention the hundreds of times he had busted and mangled the humans that came before you, showing off their shiny red innards and split and fractured inner frames. 

You slowly relaxed under his hands and he leaned closer, carefully probing the flesh through your shirt. "Watch yourself, pal. I meant the kicking thing."

"i hear ya."

"Here, hold on."

You sat up, tugging your shirt up and over your head. His soul beat against his ribcage as you settled again, tank top that had been underneath the old painting shirt bunched just enough to show your lower back.

"Might as well make it easier."

He nodded even though you couldn't see, putting his hands back where they'd been.

"Are you just going to lean over the top of me like that, or are you going to make easier for yourself and put one leg on either side of me?" You sounded more sarcastically dry than anything. He tried to crush the fluttering in his ribcage.

"right."

He hovered over you, one leg on either side of your hips. He tried to shove lewd thoughts out of his mind and gently pressed into your shoulders again. He didn't have much of an idea of how muscles worked or what was and wasn't supposed to be soft or tense, but, hell, might as well learn. 

He rolled the heels of his hands against your shoulders blades. You tensed again, then relaxed, much more quickly than before. You let out a small breath which encouraged him to continue. He kneaded the skin above your shoulder blades with careful fingers- he didn't exactly have fleshy hands like yours or most monsters to help pad his touches, so he might as well be careful. He found a rather tough knot and rolled his fingers against it. For a moment he got lost in the feeling of your flesh beneath his hands and wondering if he was even doing any good. Then you let out a small noise of content. Feeling more confident, he slid his hands lower.

He continued to roll his hands against your skin and work gently against the tougher parts, sometimes enticing little noises out of you. There's no way he could have pushed down the flush on his cheeks. As he reached the small of your back and pressed against where the skin dipped, he was suddenly aware of the knobs of your spine beneath his finger tips. Just then, you flinched and winced. He quickly retracted his hands.

"did that hurt?"

"Yeah. Just be careful. That's been a tender spot for a while." 

You let out a shaky breath when his hands touched the spot again, carefully sliding his palm up and down over the place. Something about the skin and flesh was different here, but he couldn't put his finger on it. After a moment, he moved lower. Here, your shirt had rolled up a bit to reveal the smooth expanse just below your back. 

"Any lower and I'll kill you."

"right."

He resisted the urge to let his hands do the exploring they'd been yearning for. Then, something caught his attention. He had been right- something about the tissue here was different from the normal, smooth flesh of the rest of you. Fearing something was wrong, he snagged the shirt with his fingers and tugged it higher.

"Don't even think-!"

You broke off when he pressed his hand to the rugged and knotty patch of skin, breath catching. For a moment, all was silent. He ran a thumb over the discolored area.

"what...?"

"It's a scar. Sometimes, when old wounds rushed their healing, instead of making normal tissue, they do the fastest thing and make scar tissue. Isn't exactly pretty, but it's pretty effective at holding you together."

Right. He'd seen other scars on you before- little ones on your wrists and arms, the bigger one of your now healed side. None had looked so harsh as this one. He tried to imagine what could have caused it, magic bubbling in his bones.

"That's an old one. I think Undyne gave me that."

He growled softly under his breath, then felt you chuckle as he traced it with a finger.

"It was more of an accidental hazard than an active hit. It was one of the first times I saw her. She swung a spear at me too hard and it kind of... bounced off. Sent me flying backwards, though. Let's just say there are a lot of craggy rocks in Waterfall. Would not recommend scraping your back against one."

He flattened a hand against it, then timidly rolled your shirt up more. You stopped him when it got to your chest, warning him with another quiet threat, this one to his groin. There were a handful of scars tracing up your back, and you commented on how monsters weren't afraid to play dirty. He ran a finger over each one, and he noticed goosebumps race up your arms when he felt particular ones too hard. 

After a time, he pulled your shirt back down and got off of you. You sat up, dusting off your front. For a long time, you gave him an unreadable look. Then,

"Thanks. My back doesn't feel so sore now."

"no problem."

"You should be getting home, otherwise your brother might think we're doing something else."

"right."

You stood, then extended a hand to him and helped him to his feet. You walked him to door and lingered there a moment, despite the snow swirling outside. You studied his face for several long moments, then put a hand on his cheek and briefly pressed your face to his. It wasn't a kiss- not really. More just a show of affection. A second later- much too soon for his liking- you pulled away and lowered your hand. 

"Get home safely."

"good night." 

He grabbed your hand and squeezed it in farewell, which had become a tradition of sorts between you. You smiled and squeezed back.

"... Thanks."

He smiled right back at you, pressing a careful, toothy 'kiss' to your palm.

"pleasure was all mine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think someone wanted a massaging + scars thing? I basically just ripped off your entire prompt, sorry, haha. Hope it's everything you wanted? :P
> 
> Still accepting prompts and ideas!


	23. Grabby Hands

"Hey, Sans, I know this is short notice, but can you watch Vet for the day?" 

"sure. why?"

"I want to make sure Grillby's is tame again before I bring him back with me. Plus, he's hitting a certain phase that won't make many monsters very happy."

"and what might that be?"

"You'll see." You chuckled on the other end of the line. "I might be late. There should be something in the fridge. He should be sleeping by the time I get home. See you." Click.

Sans lowered his phone to give it a suspicious look before stuffing it into his pocket. Well, alright. He hadn't wanted to work today, anyway. The nearest shortcut brought him a few yards away from your house, and as he approached your door, you opened it to greet him. You squeezed his hand before walking off in the direction of Grillby's. He grinned after you before stepping inside.

He found Helvetica sitting on the sofa, holding the remote to the television in his hands. It was still a bit big for him and he could hardly wrap his hands around it, but he seemed to be happy enough just sitting there like that. He looked up when Sans entered, wagging his tail in greeting as he smiled broader.

"hey, kiddo. how's it going?"

"Sans!!"

"yeah, i figured. what's up? you wanna watch tv, kid?" 

He sat beside him. He knew Helvetica didn't quite get the hang of most things involving a lot of buttons and most of the time ended up confused and unhappy over it, so he naturally reached out to pull the remote out of his hands. The second he made a move for it, Helvetica hugged it closer. When he grabbed it and tried to tug it away, the kid refused to let go.

"Is mine!" Helvetica stuck out his tongue, wagging his tail.

Sans dropped his hand, thoroughly confused. The hell...? Was this what you meant by a phase? Well, okay. No tv then.

"okay, suit yourself. what do you wanna do, then?" 

Helvetica got up, hopping off the couch with the remote still in his hands, and raced into your room. A moment later, he came back out, dragging both the remote and a random book and... board games? behind him. He seemed to be having trouble, but didn't actually seem /troubled/ by it. He scampered up to the couch, pushed the book up first, then the board games, then hopped up with the remote. He settled, nosing the book in Sans' direction. He didn't know how to read yet, but he liked to be read to.

Especially by Sans, much to his embarrassment.

He sighed, picking up a random board game, attempting to put off the reading.

"alright, pal."

 

By the time Helvetica apparently wanted something to eat, Sans was getting tired of reading. He didn't have any problem with the books from the surface- he found them interesting!- but reading aloud... wasn't his thing. The kid had played several rounds of checkers with him before hoarding all the red pieces and refusing to put them down for any reason whatsoever. Eventually, Sans had been forced to read as a peace offering, of sorts. Yippee.

Helvetica followed him into the kitchen, hopping on top of the counter and pulling open a cabinet. From inside he grabbed a jar of peanut butter, then sat on the counter with it set on his lap. 

"so... is that all you're going to eat, then? doesn't exactly seem like a very healthy dinner, kid."

Helvetica just grinned, patting the jar with his hands as if to indicate what he wanted. Well, alright. Sans could do a peanut butter sandwich. Easier the better. 

When he reached out to try take the jar away, Helvetica clung to it. 

"Is mine!"

"i have to take that make you a sandwich, genius."

"Is mine!"

Sans sighed, giving the kid a long look. After a moment, he shrugged.

"have it your way."

He grabbed the jar and picked it up, despite the feathered orange burr clinging to it. He shook it gently back and forth until Helvetica eventually lost his grip and fell. The kid huffed and crossed his arms.

"Is mine."

"i'm sure you'll be happier when you're eating it rather than hoarding it."

It didn't take long before Helvetica was happily biting into a peanut butter sandwich, tail thumping the counter. Sans shook his head, eyeing the clock. You'd be home in an hour or two, maybe later considering your current work schedule. Might as well make you something while he was here. He slid out of his jacket and tossed it on the sofa as Helvetica slid off the counter and scampered away. 

"you need something, you know where i am, right, kid?"

"Yea!"

Sans turned to your fridge with a chuckle, fishing around inside for something he could use. Well, it wasn't a lot, but he might be able to work with this. Maybe. Were you just really bad at keeping up with shopping...?

 

When Sans stepped out of the kitchen, he realized that it took longer than he thought. Working with only a handful of items that didn't work with shit together was frustrating, to say the least. He scratched at the back of his skull, heading for the living room.

The kid was nowhere in site. Huh. Sans hadn't heard a word out of him since he left the kitchen. He checked the painting room, but found no one inside. The paintings seemed to peer back at him. He quickly shut the door. Maybe he got tired and went to bed? Seemed logical enough. You'd be pleased when you got home, at least.

Sans paused beside the couch, aiming to pick up his jacket. He snagged it, but when he went to pick it up, something resisted. Surprised, he dropped it again and stared at it, slightly baffled. 

A tiny orange snout poked out from underneath the heaped article of clothing, sniffed several times, then withdrew. 

"Is mine."

Sans couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped him. The entire situation was just too ridiculous. 

"come on, kid, give it up."

He gave it another tug, but Helvetica refused to release it or come out from underneath it. At times, he would catch a glimpse of his feathered tail, then Helvetica would give a particularly stubborn tug and reclaim it again. 

"Is mine."

Sans chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "alright, pal, you asked for it."

He picked up the jacket with one hand, lifting Helvetica clear off the couch. He dangled, looking shocked, then shot Sans a defiant look. With a wave of his hand, he managed to release it from Helvetica's grip, then lowered the kid to the floor. With one quick movement, he slid the jacket back on, shooting the now grumpy monster a smug look.

"i do believe this is mine."

He lied on the couch, stuffing his hands in his pockets without a care in the world. He knew that at this point he was just pushing the kid's buttons, but honestly, he had a hilarious angry face. He snorted under his breath when he heard Helvetica huff and stamp his feet a few times. He closed his eyes, waiting.

A few moments later, his patience was rewarded. Something landed softly beside him, then crawled on top of his legs. He cracked an eye open to watch as the kid scrambled his way on top of his stomach. He grinned wider when Helvetica puffed out his cheeks at him, frowning. 

He was surprised when the kid responded by plopping himself down on top of him, nuzzling into Sans' sweater and grabbing fistfuls of the jacket, pulling it over him the best he could. He raised his eyebrows when Helvetica let out a breath of content.

"Is mine."

He chuckled, raising a hand to ruffle the feathers along the kid's back before relaxing again. For a while, he lied there, staring up at the ceiling as the kid eventually fell asleep on top of him. After a long time of waiting to see if you were going to come home on time, he let his eyes drift shut. He could use a few extra winks of sleep.

 

"Guys? I'm home."

You swung open your front door, bumping it shut behind you as you checked inside your shopping bags, rustling around inside for something.

"Sorry it me so long, I stopped by the shop on the way home. We needed groceries anyway."

Silence followed as you set the bags in the kitchen. Dusting your hands off, you headed for the living room, confusion prickling up your spine. 

"Guys-?"

You stopped. 

Sans was lying on the couch, snoozing as was his habit. Curled up on top of his lower ribcage, the edges of Sans' jacket drawn around him, was Helvetica, snoozing in much the same fashion. One of Sans' hands rested on top of him, enough to keep him place but not heavy. Helvetica's tiny breaths ruffled the fur of Sans' coat as Sans' lightly lifted and lowered the kid on top of him.

You couldn't but smile, a feeling of content swelling in your chest. For a moment, you felt an urge to join them, having to remind yourself the couch was big enough to accommodate all of you. Instead, you pulled out your cellphone and tapped into the camera application. 

New background, incoming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ,,, this is shit lol
> 
> I'm tired and I should be sleeping but screw it, have more Sans and Vet fluff. 
> 
> Still taking requests!


	24. Four chambered

"Okay. So. Cooking lesson number one. How would you rate my performance?" You're snickering under your breath even as you say it, and Sans can't help the amusement that makes him roll his eyes.

"utter failure. not sure how you burned water or caught it on fire. nine out of ten."

You burst out into loud laughter. Helvetica, apparently wanting to be in on the joke, hopped out of the cabinet he'd been searching around in and paced up to you, nosing your arm questioningly. You ruffled his crest, but grinned at Sans. He's faintly proud of himself for having made you laugh like that. 

"To be fair, there was oil in the water."

"to be fair, you also absolutely suck at cooking." 

"Hey, don't blame me. At least on the surface, you could live off pre-made junk food."

"i have no idea how i'm going to work with this."

You shrugged, scooping Helvetica up into your arms. The kid squealed when you tossed him gently into the air and caught him again, squirming in your hands. "Maybe I'll just have to work with Undyne. She may try to poison me, but if I challenge her to it she'll never back down."

Sans snorted, but didn't disregard the idea. Honestly, it was probably better than his own. He wasn't exactly a good teacher, if he was entirely honest. He both had no patience for it and was too lazy to give very good instructions. Despite, you had tried your best to learn a little bit of what he was trying to teach, if not to much success. It had turned into a game, really, if the salt in your hair and water dampening his coat was any indicator.

Outside, the wind rattled the windows and shoved the recycled snow into huge drifts against any offending surface. It reminded him of the night you had stormed out after he was a total dick, nearly snuffing out not only your life, but Helvetica's not-even-a-day-old one as well. He tried to crush the anxiety rising in his chest, ignoring his mounting fear of letting you go home in such weather.

You shook your hair out, dusted off your front, and headed for the door with Helvetica on your shoulders. "Well, thanks for trying, I suppose. I'll see you tomorrow. I've actually got the day off, if you can believe it." 

You slid your feet into your shoes and grabbed your coat before Sans caught your wrist and gave your hand a squeeze of farewell. You gave him a smile, then put a hand on the doorknob and tried to push it open. Keyword being tried. 

The knob turned, but the door didn't budge. Your look turned confused, then determined, and you dropped Helvetica to the floor and tried it again. It made a grating noise, moved a quarter of an inch, and refused to move any more. A trickle of snow came in through the crack of outside now visible.

You stepped back, hands on your hips and a scowl on your face. "What in the world...?"

Sans came up behind you, breath brushing against your neck. "looks like the doors stuck."

"Have we seriously been snowed in...? I knew it was coming down, but I thought I could get out of here before anything like this happened." You scratched the back of your head, looking frustrated. "... How long have I been here?"

"a few hours."

"Well, that explains it. Shoot. Hm." You tried the door again, then let it slide shut again. You stood quietly for a moment, clearly contemplating, then turned back to Sans as Helvetica headed for the kitchen again. "Can you 'shortcut' us out of here?"

"nope." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, gaze flicking to the snow still whirling outside. 

"What? Why not?" You looked baffled more than angry. That was reassuring. The last thing he wanted was to have to stay indoors with you for however long when you were pissed.

"there aren't any shortcuts directly inside my house. the closest one is near the mailboxes. you really think i call them shortcuts as a cute nickname? i can't just go wherever i want whenever i want." He could have snickered at the look of dawning realization on your face. You looked at the door again, then ran a hand over your face.

"I guess we'll have to stay the night? I don't really have any other choice. We'll sleep on the couch...?" You slid him an almost timid look, as if afraid he was going to throw you out the nearest window to get rid of you. He shrugged.

"no skin off my bones." 

You snorted at the pun, tugging your shoes off again. Just then, Helvetics reappeared in the kitchen doorway, Sans' jar of peanut butter clutched in his hands. 

"Sans! Can I?"

Sans could have groaned. This kid's life goal was beginning to look like it was going to be 'eat all of the peanut butter, no matter who owns it.' You snickered at his expression, patting his shoulder as you walked past. 

"Come on, Sans. One spoonful couldn't hurt."

"alright. fine."

Helvetica grins and races back into the kitchen. Sans can only hope the kid understands the meaning of 'one spoonful' and that he won't have to go shopping again quite so soon. You and Sans had seated yourselves on the sofa by the time Helvetica appeared again, still apparently attempting to get the peanut butter off the roof of his mouth. He jumped up onto your lap, then settled with his nose pointed toward the television, glancing pointedly at Sans.

You laughed, scratching Vet's spine with the tips of your fingers. "So. T.V., then? I know you don't like Mettaton's shows, but Vet does. It's kind of a shame Mettaton is so awkward about kids, otherwise Vet could have had a blast hanging out around him." 

Sans couldn't help the prickling of jealous that forced him to frown. He turned away before you inevitably noticed and tease him about it or act completely oblivious to it, picking up the remote and tossing it to you. 

 

You ended up watching Mettaton's boring (and teeth-grindingly annoying, in Sans' opinion) 'dramas' until Helvetica dozed off. You laid him on the sofa, careful not to disturb him, then stretched. Something in your shoulders made a soft popping noise that instantly caught Sans' attention. That almost sounded like...

You sharply snapped out one of your arms, and this time it's a much louder crack. It caused Sans to inhale a quick take of breath. There was no mistaking it- that sounded a hell of a lot like bones snapping sharply together. 

You rolled your wrist, and there's a lot of quiet clicking noises this time. When you turn, mouth open to ask a question, you jumped in surprise at how close he suddenly was. You took a quick step backward, eyeing him carefully.

"What is it?"

"do that again."

Confusion flashed across your face. "What? Oh, you mean the popping thing?" You put your hands together and pressed against where your fingers met the knuckle, and out came a series of sharp cracks and snaps. His fingers reflexively curled.

"how'd you do that?"

His eyes follow your fingers as you drop your hands, barely seeing your confusion return out of the corner of his eye. "It's just bubbles between my joints. All I'm doing is lining things up correctly for them to escape and relieve pressure."

"so. no bones rubbing against each other."

Realization, then amusement finds it home on your face as he drags his gaze away from your hands. "Well, I suppose it could be, but that mostly just happens when fingers or whatever pop out of socket. I'm pretty sure what I just did was just bubbles." 

"pop out of socket?"

"Yeah, you know, dislocate. I think I dislocated my shoulder once. All it took was a good tug and it slid right back into place. Hurt like crazy at the time, but worked like a charm." You put a hand to and rolled your shoulder as you talked, wincing at some memory. Sans could practically feel his own bones aching at description. 

"eesh."

"Not a big deal. Doesn't even bother me anymore." You dropped your hand, eyeing him curiously. "Why? Didn't realize humans have skeletons inside them?"

"just a pretty... surprising reminder." He looked away, stepping back as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Uh, okay." A pause. "So... Can I use your shower real fast? My hair is still itchy with salt." 

He had to crush down the urge to ask if he could join you. "sure. whatever." 

You half heartedly pushed his shoulder. "Hey, don't get grumpy with me. If the popping thing really has you bothered that much, I'll stop, okay?" 

He glanced up and is surprised by how you regretful look, troubled frown reaching your eyes. For a moment, he's too swept up in the surge of feeling the realization of how considerate you're trying to be for his sake gives him to say anything in response. By the time he thinks to, you're already halfway up the stairs and the next moment he hears the bathroom door click shut behind you.

Helvetica woke will you were still in the shower. For a moment, he seemed panicked that you were nowhere to be found, then he calmed upon noticing Sans. He crawled on top of the skeleton, curling up in a snug ball in his lap. Sans should have been annoyed, but, in all honesty, he just couldn't bring himself to be. In a way, it was... flattering, in a way (touching, maybe?) that the kid should think highly enough of him to calm when he was around.

Then again, he shouldn't have been surprised. The kid had called him his 'dad.' Though it had been a few months since that night, Sans couldn't help but wonder if it was a one time thing or not. Though would have he would have never, ever admitted it out loud (except maybe to you), he rather liked the idea of being more than a special occasion sort of deal. 

Helvetica had dozed off again, and been put to sleep in a nearby chair- complete with pillow and blanket- by the time you came walking down the stairs, hair still damp. You had apparently gone into Sans' room and stolen some of his clothes, as the shirt you were wearing looked suspiciously like one of his and was several sizes too big for you. He couldn't help the flutter in his ribcage that still plagued him whenever you did things that particularly got to him. 

"Hope you don't mind that I stole some of your clothes. Wasn't exactly planning on spending the night." You plopped heavily down on the sofa beside him, eyes immediately dropping shut as you took a deep breath. 

"it'd take a lot more than that to rattle my bones."

You snorted, weakly slapping him. "You've used that one before."

"so sue me for it."

You chuckle, moving to lie down with your legs in his lap. For a while, all you did was lay there like that, Sans gently running his fingers up and down the covered flesh of your shins, down to your ankles, up to your knees, and back again. You didn't seem bothered by it. In fact, you even seemed content with it. 

After God knows how long, Sans shifted. You cracked your eyes open to watch him as he carefully put his knees on either side of you and sat on the tops of your legs. A warning glint appeared in your eyes, but it dimmed when he simply nodded slightly in acknowledgement. You simply met his gaze steadily as he ran his hands carefully over the tops of your arms. 

After a moment, he slid his hands up over your shoulders, then down, past your collarbone. Still, you held his gaze, but didn't say a word. He rested a palm against the flat of your chest and stilled. For a moment, he didn't feel a thing. Then-

Ba-thump.  
...  
Ba-thump.  
...  
Ba-thump.

Calm and rhythmic beneath his palm, your heart beat resonated in his magic-filled bones so clearly he could almost hear it. It was such a tranquil feeling- something he would never get with another monster, this beating pulse beneath his hand. Sure, there were souls to feel, but nothing quite so solid and... reliable as your pulse. For a moment, he wondered if he could feel the humming pulse of your soul beside your heart's heavier one.

His gaze met yours. You were still calm beneath his touch, but he wondered if your heartbeat wasn't a little faster than normal. Your face gave nothing away: Still, your gaze met his in an almost unbreakable, tangible stare. 

He moved his hand away from your sternum to your forearms, then down to your wrists. He took one of them in his hands, glancing up to meet your gaze. Still, nothing. He turned your hand over so the spiderweb of green and purple veins on the softer side were displayed to him. He lifted it to his teeth and pressed the flat of his fangs to them. He could just feel the beat-beat of your heart pumping against his teeth. He kept his gaze tracked on yours. Still, no objections.

He slowly opened his jaws and took the soft skin in his teeth. He tried to be gentle, and guessing from the way you didn't even flinch, it didn't hurt. He could practically taste your delicate human flesh. He could certainly feel your pulse now, stronger between his fangs. Still, you steadily met his gaze.

It sharply occurred to him in that moment- he could very easily bite down and rip and bust the delicate arteries and veins just millimeters from his teeth, the only thing separating them being your soft and tearable skin. He could easily cause you unbearable pain, perhaps even death, with just a simple squeeze and a sharp pull away- and you were letting him sit there in the trust that he wouldn't. 

And suddenly he was feeling too much all at once and he had to let go of your arm so as to not accidentally puncture the skin as he tried to blink tears away. He closed his eyes in an attempt to hide them, but was surprised into opening them again as something warm and soft and comforting brushed his cheek.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Your voice was so quiet and soft, and your expression was so worried and reassuring. He took a deep, shuddering breath, attempting to blink the cloudiness of his vision away.

"yeah. more okay than i've been in a long, long time. you have no idea how okay i am right now." He reached up and trapped your hand to his cheek, making you smile softly. "thank you. you have no idea..."

"It's okay." And you rubbed your thumb back and forth across his cheek bone, making him feel weak but loved all at once. 

You don't say anything as he gently collapsed on top of you, head tucked against your collarbone and arms snaked around behind you back. You draped your arms around him, and he felt your chest expand and fall as you took a deep breath. He pressed his cheek to your sternum and then, directly beneath him, he could hear, clear as day-

Ba-thump.  
...  
Ba-thump.  
...  
Ba-thump.

And it's such a soothing sound. He hardly notices when Helvetica crawls out of his chair and slips onto the couch to curl up against your side, feathers just brushing Sans' arm. Eventually, he hears your breathing change and your heartbeat slow, and he realizes you just have fallen asleep.

And what he could do but follow?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think someone wanted something like this?? I have no idea at this point. Here you go.
> 
> In the next chapter or two, Helvetica's arc begins! Or maybe later, if I can come up with more Sans and Reader centric ideas. I'm kind of excited to be writing Vet's arc, but at the same time I don't want to rush it.
> 
> Still taking prompts!


	25. Friends

You laughed from where you were perched on Sans' counter top, legs swinging idly as Undyne and Papyrus argued over where to start with cooking lessons. Alphys fidgeted almost nervously beside you as Sans leaned in the doorway. Helvetica was sitting at the kitchen table, clearly bored. 

"Are you serious when you say you've never even cooked before?!" Undyne sounded absolutely stupefied, like she can't believe what she's hearing.

"I mean, I have, but mostly fool-proof, simple things." You shrugged as if it didn't really bother you.

"NGAAAHHHHHH! How am I supposed to work with this?!" Undyne slammed a fist against a counter top, startling Vet and forcing Sans to give her a sharp look. 

"How about you just do your thing and I'll watch and try to keep up?"

Undyne growled, scowling. "Fine. Whatever."

You chuckled, propping your hands up behind you as Undyne and Papyrus began scurrying about like a couple of very angry, spiky chickens with their heads cut off. After a moment, Alphys shuffled beside you, looking a tad overwhelmed. 

"So. Human."

"I have a name, you know."

"..."

"... What is it."

"So. About you and Sans..."

"Yeah?"

"Are you two... I mean, how long have you been... Well, first of all, have you two gotten together yet?"

"Yet?"

"I mean..."

"Yes. We've 'gotten together.'" You glanced away from the two massive members of the Royal guard arguing over stove temperatures to look at the seemingly half-asleep skeleton in the doorway. He didn't seem to have overheard the conversation. Or maybe he was really good at pretending. "You seriously didn't know?"

"Well, I figured."

"All of Snowdin has known from day one. I'm surprised word hasn't spread to Hotland yet."

"How long have you been, you know...?"

You mulled over it, tapping your heels against the cabinet below you. "Three months. Almost four."

"... Only that long?"

"What do you mean 'only'? I'm kind of surprised we've been steady this long."

"I thought you'd gotten together ages ago and were just trying to be sneaky about it, like in this anime I watched where-"

"Ages ago? Seriously?"

"Are you in denial or something? You'd been making googly eyes at each other for, like, a year."

"I hope you're joking."

"At least, Sans was."

Apparently Alphys wasn't exactly careful with her volume this time and grabbed Sans' attention. He lifted his head, giving you both a suspicious look. Alphys avoided his gaze but you waved him off, attempting to give him a reassuring look without being too obvious about it. He narrowed his eye sockets at you, but went back to looking half-asleep again.

"We got together almost four months ago. What about it?"

"I wanted to know if you had..." She suddenly looked a bit red in the face and wouldn't meet your gaze.

"Had what? C'mon, spit it out."

"Have you... you know... done the soul thing? Or maybe... Some variant?"

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"... Have you two done the... the 'horizontal tango' yet? I think that's what they called it..."

"The... Oh my god, don't tell me you're asking if we've done the deed in bed yet."

"That's exactly what I'm asking."

"Undyne, your girlfriend is asking me some freaky questions!"

"Sh-sh-shush!"

"What? Girlfriend?"

"N-nothing, Undyne! They were just joking around!"

Undyne grunted, but turned back to what she was doing. Alphys scowled at you fiercely, face almost completely flushed now.

"I'm just curious! You big jerk."

"You're asking me about my love life. I'm pretty sure we're bordering on creepy territory, if we haven't crossed it already." 

"Just tell me!"

"Why do you care?!"

"Why are you so defensive?!"

By this time, you were practically whisper yelling, scowling at one another. Over Alphys' shoulder, you could see Sans eyeing the conversation with that 'I'm about to get up in someone's face if something doesn't get explained in .2 seconds' look on his face. You pushed Alphys away for a second, waved him off, then turned back to the short yellow monster still scowling at you.

"Can't we just drop this?"

"No."

"Oh my god."

"It'll be over in like two seconds if you just tell me."

"Alright, no. We haven't. Satisfied, you prick?"

She looked disappointed. You're about to slap a bitch. "Really?"

"Yes, really!"

"Oh."

"Can you just leave and never talk to me again."

"Sorry."

"Oh, I'm sure."

"... Okay, but have you kissed yet?"

 

Sans narrowed his eyes at you and Alphys as you continued to hiss something to each other, heads nearly touching as you exchanged angry looks. After another moment, you both pulled away, though you looked incredibly peeved and Alphys looked incredibly disappointed. He would have to ask about it later. 

He pushed himself off the doorframe, shuffling over to the dining table to sit. Helvetica was playing with something between his hands, oddly focused. He didn't look up as Sans sat close by, and, a moment later, he noticed a spark of green magic between the kid's hands.

"whatcha doing there, kiddo?"

Helvetica seemed to realize he was there and looked up, grinning at Sans brightly. "Sans! Look!" He lifted his hands, and, floating idly between them was an awkwardly shaped green mass of magic. 

It took Sans a moment to realize it, but it was a crudely shaped bone, much like the ones he and Papyrus used as projectiles and attacks. It was clear it was being forced into that shape; it was something most monster children did at some point, attempting to replicate their parents' magic. Now, most monster kids did end up adopting or inheriting at least some of their parents' magic, but that was the thing. He didn't know who the kid's parents were, or if they were even around anymore. He had no idea what to expect with this kid, magic-wise. There was nothing to go off of.

To see him attempting to mimic him, though, was oddly touching. He clearly saw him as a father figure, one way or another, and while he'd already heard it once before, actions spoke louder than words, right? 

He chuckled, reaching out and ruffling the kid's feathers. The kid laughed and, in the moment of distraction, the magic fizzled out. "good job, kiddo."

"THE SPAGHETTI IS DONE! WITH NO THANKS TO YOU, HUMAN!"

"I know you couldn't have done it without me."

The next moment, the whole group was hoarded around the table not nearly big enough for the number of monsters seated there. Plates of spaghetti were passed around, and Helvetica was quick to dig in. You, seated right beside Sans now, were a bit more hesitant, but eventually started twirling the mediocre food around your fork.

Conversation was swapped around the table, and, while two of the voices were much too loud for Sans' liking, it wasn't exactly awful. In fact, it might have even been tolerable. Undyne seemed rather proud when Helvetica finished his plate and, when asked, said it was good. Papyrus, of course, acted as though it was obvious. Despite how you were laughing along with the members of the Royal guard- and how you were bouncing puns off of Sans, much to everyone else's displeasure (except Helvetica's, of course)- you were blatantly ignoring Alphys. 

It was beginning to look like Sans was going to have to chew someone out for pissing off his human. That someone being Alphys.

As the dinner was winding down, Helvetica suddenly patted the tabletop excitedly, drawing everyone's attention.

"Whaddaya call a fake noodle?" He grinned broader, clearly hyping himself up for something. If the color could have drained out of Papyrus' face, it would have. Undyne looked like she was preparing herself for it in an almost proud way.

"HE'S NOT..."

"He so is."

"An im-pasta!" 

Papyrus groaned, hands flying to his forehead. Undyne burst out laughing, having to lay her head against the tabletop while choking a wheezy 'Oh, have fun with that, Papyrus.' Alphys just looked tired of puns.

Sans, however, could not have been more proud.

"oh my god, his first pun." He wiped away a nonexistent tear, leaning his shoulder lightly against yours. 

"Vet, you have no idea how proud we are right now. That was the best thing ever, buddy." You grinned, giving him two thumbs up. Helvetica put his little feathered hands to his cheeks and ducked his head as though abashed, but Sans could hear his tail beating against the chair beneath him. 

"this is only the beginning, kiddo. wait till he gets to the bone puns. he's going to turn out just like his old man." 

Papyrus practically screamed again, hands curling in frustration. It didn't seem to deter Helvetica in the slightest. 

"Oh, they grow up so fast." You swooned dramatically against Sans shoulder, putting a hand to your forehead. 

"CAN WE JUST WATCH A MOVIE BEFORE HE HAS THE CHANCE TO TURN INTO A MINIATURE SANS, ASGORE FORBID?!"

"Aw, but Papyrus, he hasn't even made a macaroni pun yet."

"NO!!"

"Yes!!"

"DO NOT ARGUE WITH ME, TINY MONSTER!"

 

It'd gotten dark, and most of the monsters at the gathering were snoozing or dozing off as yet another Mettaton classic came to a close. Alphys was collapsed into Undyne's lap, and Undyne was clutching her close, and, in all honesty, it was hard to believe they weren't a thing yet or hadn't realized they had feelings for each other. Papyrus was curled up in as small a ball as possible for an impossibly tall, lanky skeleton. Everyone was wearing casual clothes, rather different from the usual attire you saw them in. In all honesty, it was rather nice.

You were pressed up against Sans' side, his arm draped loosely around you as laid an arm across his middle. Helvetica was curled up at the dip where your legs pressed against Sans', snoring softly into his tail. Your eyelids were drooping, but you were smiling softly.

"Today was nice." You whispered out as the credits started to roll.

"yeah." Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "what were you and Alphys talking about?"

"Don't worry about it. Just stupid stuff." You laid your head on his sternum, glancing down at Helvetica as you gently stroked along the ridge of his back. "Vet really is turning out to be like you. Well, humor-wise, anyway." You chuckled into his sweater, and he squeezed you slightly tighter. 

"kid sure is growing up. two years pretty soon, eh?"

"Yeah. Too fast for me."

"y'know, most monster kid starts school around that age."

"Seriously?"

"yeah. maybe a month or so later."

"He really is growing up fast. Human kids normally only start school around five years."

"wait, really?"

"Yeah. But then, we age a lot slower. I'm kind of glad he almost skipped the toddler years. It made my job a lot easier, though I kind of wonder what it would have been like if he'd grown up like a human..."

You broke off as Papyrus shifted, making a small noise. You waited a few moments, the let out a breath. 

"humans are weird."

"I guess. I suppose I should consider looking into schools, huh?" You sighed in regret, sounding almost defeated.

"guess so."

Silence.

"Thank you. For... being what you are to him. I think it's helped him out. Helped me out, too."

"you sure do thank me a lot."

"You deserve it. Bonehead." 

You sat up slightly, lifting your head from his sternum. He glanced down at you in surprise, wondering if he'd said something wrong, but the next instant your lips had brushed his cheekbone and he was too flustered to think of anything to say. You chuckled, laying your head back down again.

"You sure do fluster easily."

He huffed, refusing to meet your gaze. "only when you do stuff that catches me off guard."

"Whatever you say. Goodnight, bone head."

"night... human."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this?! Two chapters in one day?!?!?! Yeah. Oops. Sorry. I was kind of really bored and I should be sleeping but here you go. 
> 
> The two prompts I'm currently going to work on are massage (Sans edition this time) and another date, which I might mash into one chapter. If you have any more you want to get in before Vet's arc starts, let me know, cause like, after that starts, there will be a lot of chapters just about him or things indirectly about him and there might not be a lot of room for reader and Sans shit.
> 
> Anyway. I love you guys. Stay lovely.


	26. Date Night

"H-hello? Who is this?"

"Oh my god, Alphys, have you seriously not put my contact into your phone yet? Really?"

"... Maybe."

"You guys are impossible."

"Just, what do you want?"

"Sans and I are going out for the night and I was wondering if you would watch Helvetica for me."

"... Out on a date? Or are just saying that so you can stay home, alone, and have kinky, interspecies-"

"Alphys."

"Ugh, okay, why me?"

"Papyrus and Undyne have some dumb Royal guard thing to do and you're pretty much my only other friend."

"Uuuugh."

"Come on, hand him a pen and paper and you won't hear a peep out of him."

"Ugh. Fine. For how long?"

"I'll drop him off in an hour, and I want all pointy or dangerous objects out of hands reach when I get there. We'll pick him up around... eight."

"Fine."

 

You knocked on the large metal door, attempting to ignore the sweltering Hotland heat. A moment later, it slid open to reveal a somewhat disgruntled Alphys. Helvetica made a happy hum at her appearance, sliding down from his perch on your shoulders- which he was nearly too big for- to run up and greet her with a nose-boop to her hand.

"Thanks, Alphys. I'll see you around eight."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come on, kid." She let Helvetica inside, closing the door as he turned back to wave. You wiggled your fingers right back at him, smiling as he grinned just before the door clicked shut.

You turned and walked along the red crags of Hotland until you reached one of Sans' many sentry posts, where your skeleton was waiting for you. He cracked an eye open as you approached, grin widening slightly.

"hey, sweet cheeks. come here often?" 

"If you ever call me sweet cheeks again I am going to punch you."

"ouch. that hurts, babe."

"Yeah, it will. Now are we going out or what?"

"going out? i think you need to be a little more specific than that."

You rolled your eyes, looking away as heat crawled teasingly across your cheeks. "Out on a date. Now hurry up or I'm going out to get food without you." 

The skeleton snickered, stepping out of his post to stand beside you. Your hands naturally went to his humerus, and, one shortcut later, you were back in Snowdin. You quickly dropped your hands, but stuck close enough to his side that your sleeve brushed his as you walked along.

"You sure you want to eat at Grillby's? I mean, I know it's pretty much the only place to eat out in Snowdin, but..."

"why?"

"Don't growl at me, snarly. I'm just saying, monsters might not yet be okay with... a human and a monster."

"well too fuckin' bad for them."

"Sans, please."

Despite attempting to be scolding, you were shaking your head in amusement as he pushed the door to the bar open and stepped inside, pausing to let you in before letting the door shut loudly behind you. Around the establishment, several heads lifted to watch you, some not so friendly. 

You slid into a booth, Sans soon across from you, and tried to ignore the hostile looks being shot your way. "So. Uh. What now?"

"what do you mean, what now?" Sans' quirks an eyebrow at you, signature grumpy-but-still-grinning look on his face.

"I mean, what now? How do we do this dating thing?"

"hell if i know." He shrugged as if he didn't care. You could happily beat a hole in a wall with your forehead.

"How do you not know?!"

"i thought we went over this. i don't exactly do this dating thing. what's your excuse?"

"Uh, I'm not a monster? If it's like anything else down here, monster dating is ass backwards from its human counterpart." 

"so what? okay, we're both winging it. i can live with that." 

"Saaaans." You groaned, laying your hand across your eyes despite the smile attempting to work its way across your face. Despite being an 'argument,' there was no heat behind the words exchanged; in fact, there was more humor behind it than anything.

"Okay. So we both don't know shit about what we're doing."

"how about we start with conversation."

"I can live with that."

 

Alphys turned in her chair, watching Helvetica as he doodled and scribbled away at the pieces of paper she'd given him. For a while, it was silent save for the pencil scratching against the blank sheets. 

"S-so... Do you like anime?"

The feathered orange monster lifted his frilly head. "Whatsat?"

"Never mind."

The kid turned back to the paper, tail beating the floor. More silence. 

"S-so. You, uh, you like your human, huh?"

"Yea! Love 'em!" Helvetica put his hands to his cheeks, tail drumming against the floor as he grinned to himself. 

"Yeah, I kinda figured. You like Sans?"

"Yea! He'ssa best!"

More silence.

"So... What's it like, between your human and Sans?"

"Is good!"

"Um, okay. Anything more than that?"

"... Is great?" 

"Never mind."

 

"Are you serious?!" You laughed into your hand, attempting to calm yourself so you didn't look like even more of a freak.

"seriously. right there in front of everyone. i wish i'd caught it on camera."

You pressed a hand against your eyes, laughing hysterically. "Holy shit. That's the best thing ever."

"he didn't think so at the time."

Your laughter died into snickers and you picked up your glass of water, moving the ice around in circles. You could feel someone staring at you, making your skin prickle. You gave the room a sweeping glance, glaring at anyone that met your eyes and mouthing 'Fuck off' to the odd monster that would continue to stare back you. 

"just ignore them. they'll get what's coming to them eventually." 

You glanced at Sans. "... Don't. Whatever you're thinking, don't."

All he did was grin broader in response. 

It was just then that Grillby approached, a monster carrying two plates behind him. The monster set the food down and walked away without a word. Grillby loitered, bending down to hiss something in your ear. You could feel the heat of his crackling flames brushing your hair.

"How much do you want to bet Sans will assume the worst and get envious over something as simple as this?" He then chuckled, still so close you could feel the soft exhalations of breath against your temple. 

You shoved him away, but you couldn't help but laugh. "You dick."

"You shouldn't talk to your employer that way."

"Buzz off." 

He left with a small dip of his head and a small smirk playing on his face. You huffed, rolling your eyes, then turned back to your date. He was scowling after the fire monster, and it took you a moment to realize Grillby had been right. 

"Sans, stop that. He was telling me something about work. That's all."

"sure." 

"Don't turn into an angsty teen on me."

He huffed, but wouldn't meet your gaze as you turned to your plate. For a while, nothing really happened.

"I don't know about you, but I'm having a nice time."

"yeah."

"'Yeah,' I'm having a nice time, or 'yeah,' you're having a nice time?"

"the second one."

"Oh, you easily embarrassed skeleton, you. Oh come on, I don't want to date a dog, stop growling at me. Hey, you done? Want a to go box or something?"

"nah, i'm good. you?"

"I'm good. Come on."

You both stood, though you paused to scoop up both of the plates and carry them to the bar and pass them to the monster waiting there for them. That done, you headed for the door, where Sans had stopped to wait for you. As you went to push the door open, he grabbed your hand and held it tightly in one of his own. When you looked at him in surprise and confusion, he refused to meet your gaze and instead just led the way out into the snow. You chuckled under your breath, following close at his side.

You didn't bother to say anything about it. You'd been debating attempting to strike up affectionate hand holding rather than hand squeezing, but didn't know if it was a monster taboo or something. You hadn't exactly paid attention to how public about affections monster couples were. 

But, hey, this was fine! You'd kind of been missing little things like that. Not that you'd say it aloud. Helvetica was affectionate, sure, but that was platonic, like a child to a parent. You weren't sure you'd say you missed romantic things- as that could easily be misconstrued- but you missed... something. Something like this. 

You fished in your pocket with your free hand, pulling out your phone. "Well, we've still got an hour. What do you wanna do?"

"an hour?"

"Well, yeah. I told Alphys I'd pick Vet up around eight, so..." Awkward silence. Your pace slowed. "Um. Wanna go to your place?"

"sure."

A minute later, and you were sitting awkwardly in the silence of his living room, side by side on the sofa. 

 

"S-so... What are you drawing?"

Helvetica brightened, picking up the paper and racing up to the short yellow monster and dropping it in her lap. "Alphy! Alphy!" 

"W-what?" She adjusted her glasses, then picked up the doodle. Oh- it was of her. That was what he meant. It wasn't that bad. In fact, it was rather nice. "O-oh. Daw. Thank you."

"Alphy!" He clapped his hands together, grinning at her, clearly pleased she liked it. 

"U-um. Oh! Here, I know, let me just..." She turned back to her desk, ripping off a small piece of tape, and soon sticking the scribble to a far corner of her computer monitor. "There? How's that?"

Helvetica clapped happily, bumping his nose against one of her hands affectionately.

 

"Does your back hurt or something?"

"no, i-"

"Lie down and take off your jacket."

"wait, what?"

"Just do it, bonehead."

Sans huffed, looking disgruntled, but slid out of his jacket and let it drop to the floor and laid back. "there. happy?"

"No. On your stomach, stupid. Also, that sweater's gotta go."

Sans looked shocked, a faint color coming to his cheeks, and for a moment he didn't move. Then, hesitantly, he moved to take off his sweater.

"I mean, you don't have to. If you don't want to. It'd make my job easier, but..."

"nah, it's fine."

The second the sweater was discarded on the floor, Sans felt... incredibly bare. All the little nicks and 'scars' he'd acquired over time- close calls, all of them- seemed to stand out worse than black sharpie against his bones, and the very fact that his bones were exposed for the whole world- you, especially- to see made prickles of panic crawl up his spine. 

You were staring. Why did you have to stare? 

He frowned, looking away and refusing to meet your gaze. Then, your fingers grazed his sternum, and his soul lunged to his nonexistent throat. All of his instincts were screaming at him to get away from the threat, but that was just it. A secondary and counter instinct reminded him you weren't a threat and that the touch was feather light and delicate.

But it could easily turn malicious.

But this was you we were talking about.

An enemy was an enemy, no matter what they were packaged in.

But you weren't an enemy.

He forced himself to take a deep breath, following your hand with his eyes as your fingers slid to one of his ribs and traced along the gentle curve of it. It paused, and your thumb ran carefully along a shallow groove in the bone. His soul fluttered against his ribcage, practically rattling him. 

"Are these... scars?"

"yeah." His voice nearly choked. He forced himself to maintain a straight face. 

"Sorry, this is too much isn't it? Here, I'll just-"

You moved to take your hand away, but he caught it in one of his. "no. it's fine. just not something i'm used to."

"... You sure?" You looked so... concerned. So genuinely, wholly concerned. 

"yeah."

You hesitantly put your hand back on his sternum, tracing up this time to his collarbone. The touch sent jitters down his spine.

This was the thing he'd been yearning for for so long: your touch, tender and loving and careful and all for him. (Well, that and several other things.) He should be enjoying every instant of it. But... Ones instincts are a hard thing to ignore.

"Here, lie down and roll over. I don't know a lot about massaging bones, but I can give it a shot if you want."

You retracted your hand again and he followed your orders. You propped yourself up above him, knees on either side of his hollow midsection, hands hovering uncertainly above him. After a moment, you laid your hands on his shoulder blades and he flinched under the warm touch. You faltered, then pressed gently against them with the heels of your hands. They clicked against the bones around them as you slowly rolled your hands against them, and he let out a long breath.

"I always kind of wanted to do something like this." You eventually murmured out, moving your hands to where his ribs met his spine. You gently drew your fingers along the different segments, and he had to repress a shiver.

"do what? massage a skeleton?"

"Well, I mean, I guess." You laughed, apparently finding a slightly crooked vertebrae and gently working at it to try and right it again. "I mean ever since we kind of got together. It's not every day you have a chance to see and touch and watch how all the bones of human body work together. Or, monster that looks like the bones of the human body. I'll take it."

He chuckled, then had to force himself to relax as you dragged your fingers down the length of his spine, then slowly up. When your fingers touched the vertebral column of his neck, he couldn't quite suppress the flinch that left him. You quickly stopped, hand retreating just enough so that he couldn't feel it's touch.

"Should I not?"

"no. you're... you're fine."

You hesitantly put your hand back again, then slowly, carefully wrapped your fingers around it. He panted out a shaky breath as your fingers gently moved around the sensitive area, and the next moment you were pulling away and standing up off the couch all together. He rolled over, watching as you checked your phone. 

"I've gotta go."

"right." 

He sat up, picking up his sweater. By the time it was on, closely followed by his jacket, you were loitering, fidgeting by the door. He stood and shuffled over, avoiding your gaze. For a moment that felt like an eternity, nothing happened.

"Thanks for the night out, I guess. Had fun."

"yeah. uh, same."

"Sorry if I... made you uncomfortable."

"not you. it's just me." 

"If you say so."

More silence. Then you leaned forward and your lips brushed the corner of his mouth, and in all honesty, he just wanted more. When you made to pull away, he caught your cheek and touched his fangs to your mouth much more strongly. A second later, he pulled away, dropping his hand and avoiding your gaze.

You blinked at him, looking surprised. "Oh. Well."

He coughed, looking away.

"Kissing someone with no lips. That's something that'll take some getting used to." And you laughed, as if it was no big deal. When he glanced up, you looked amused more than anything, though your cheeks were colored darker. "See you around, bonehead." 

You grabbed his hand and squeezed, and after a moment he returned it. Then you turned, and, with a wave, disappeared out the door.

 

You knocked on the large metal door, then waited. It slid open a moment later.

"Hey, Alphys. How was he?"

"He was- he was fine. Here, I'll go-"

"Hey, wait, can I come in a second?"

"Uhh, sure. Uh. What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you about schools."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Date Night, ft. Grump Sans and Nerd Babysitter
> 
> I don't know what else to say tbh. 
> 
> OH SOMEONE MADE ME A FANART AND IT WAS LOVELY??? THANK YOU TO THAT PERSON YOU ARE A WONDERFUL LITTLE HUMAN BEAN
> 
> Fan art can be found here!:  
> http://tomatomagica.tumblr.com/post/142700748315/sans-and-helvetica-from-shibainuunited-s-fic
> 
> I'm on mobile, so,, forgive me if its not what it's supposed to be?? Or something. If you would rather not have me sharing this, person who made such lovely fan art, simply say so and i can and will remove it!


	27. School

Over the next few weeks, Sans noticed a shift in your behavior. 

You seemed distracted. You were often 'busy,' or 'going out somewhere.' You were spending a lot of time with Helvetica. He would often find you scribbling down mystery numbers or names on slips of paper and sticking them in your pockets. At first, he was suspicious of it all; were you... seeing someone else? 

Then, he came into your house on one chance occasion, and found a collection of papers strewn across your couch: 'Hotland's School for the Gifted,' 'Snowdin Scholarly Institute,' 'Waterfall's institute of Education,' so on and so on, with bullet points under each, 'pros' and 'cons'. A few were starred, a few scratched out. One was sitting away from the others, circled. When you had come in to find him reading over one of them, you had gotten flustered and rushed to explain.

It was about time for him to start school, anyway. The circled one was the one that looked the most promising- it didn't require all its students to take battle training classes, had a good record, and it was right there in Snowdin, you just needed to check out a few more before you approached them. Despite the straight face you wore, he could see anxiety around your eyes and hear it in your voice. He didn't push it; if you didn't want to open up right away, that was fine. Sometimes, neither did he.

 

"I'm going to talk to the folks at that school today and I was hoping you'd keep an eye on Vet while I do."

"sure. what're you gonna say?"

"Probably just ask for no discrimination- just because I'm his guardian doesn't mean he isn't just another monster-, no propagandizing about humans, no forcing him into battle classes, the like."

"propagandizing?"

"You know, the whole 'humans are Satan and should all be exterminated, blah blah blah.' I know we locked you guys down here, but I don't want my kid to suddenly see me as... something else."

"i highly doubt he'd believe anything they said about humans to begin with."

"I can only hope."

"well, good luck." 

"Thanks."

 

You came trudging up the snowy forest path, nearly collapsing on Sans' post as soon as you stopped. Helvetica, clearly excited to see you, jumped up and bumped your head with his nose, exclaiming something about 'Mom!' over and over. 

The... title had more or less stuck as time went on, despite you not actually being his mother. It seemed you found it cute and endearing. Sans was exactly much better. 

"hello to you too. how'd it go?"

"Guess what, Vet?" Helvetica put his hands on your cheeks, tilting his head curiously. "You start school in two months with the rest of the kids." 

Helvetica responded by squeaking and dancing in place excitedly. You chuckled, ruffling his frill of feathers affectionately. 

"Yeah, figured that'd make you happy. Tell Sans how excited you've been."

"Very! Very, very! New kids! Friends! Things!" Helvetica spun in a circle, wings flapping excitedly. 

"good for you, kiddo. how'd you manage to pull that off?"

You lifted yourself up on the heels of your hands, sitting on top of the counter beside him. "Oh my god, it took forever to get through to them. You have no idea. They only agreed after I said I could very easily bring it up with the king, who has more or less indirectly stated that I could stay without imprisoning me and therefore given me the rights of everyone else down here and therefore this was going against him. I mean, I know he hasn't said that I have the rights of everyone else, but... They don't need to know that."

"clever girl."

"... Was that a Jurassic Park reference? Do you guys even know what Jurassic Park is?"

"not a clue."

"You know what, I'm not going to question it. Anyway, he's going to that school in Snowdin, and I requested he share classes with his friend from Waterfall. Apparently he goes there, too? Which is another boost. I think it'll be good for Vet." Despite your words, he caught the flash of some emotion in your eyes as you chewed on a fingernail. 

"course. great learning opportunity."

Helvetica bumped your hand with his nose, grinning at you. You chuckled quietly, smoothing his messy crest of feathers. "Yeah."

 

Two months passed rather quickly, with Helvetica getting increasingly excited for the upcoming first day of school. You spent a lot of time with him, and he ended up tagging along with you and Sans whenever you went out or hung out or did anything together in general. It took Sans a while to realize why. And by a while, I mean until you more or less told him why.

You had asked Sans to walk him to the building with you for his first day, and he had agreed. He didn't have anything better to do, anyway. 

It was quiet that morning, save for Helvetica practically running circles around you and Sans with his small bag rustling against his back. It was clear he couldn't wait for whatever adventures awaited him inside this mysterious thing called 'school,' but Sans easily picked up on your nervous air. You had your hands shoved in your pockets, keeping an eye on your kid as the fluffy orange monster bounced all over the place, eyes surprisingly troubled as they tracked him. 

When the building came into sight, with several groups of monster children running around in the schoolyards surrounding it, you paused to scoop up Helvetica. You nuzzled your face again his, making him wiggle and squeal in response. 

"Have a good day, kiddo. I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" 

"Kay, kay!" Helvetica booped his nose against yours, making you smile. After a moment, you put him gently on the ground and trailed slowly after him as he raced toward the building. Halfway there, MK apparently spotted him and jogged up to meet him. 

You stopped a fair distance away from the clusters of young monsters, watching as Helvetica and his friend greeted each other enthusiastically. Helvetica pulled a paper out of his bag- the one with his classes and teachers names on it- and, together, the two of them scanned it over. Well, MK did, Helvetica couldn't quite get the hang of reading yet, which you had admitted was half the reason you'd signed him up for school rather than teaching him yourself. MK brightened, exclaiming something to a very happy Vet. 

Just then, a bell rang and several monsters appeared at the doors to usher the rowdier kids inside. Several met Sans' gaze, as did many of the monster children, but none said anything as the doors clicked shut behind them. 

Sans waited for you to move, glancing at you when you didn't move for several moments. Then you blinked and turned on your heel, grabbing his hand in the process. For a while, nothing was said as you walked slowly through Snowdin hand in hand. Then,

"So... What now?"

"what do you mean, what now?"

"I mean, before, my entire schedule circled around Vet. I don't have work. I don't have anyone to see or talk to about anything important. What do I do for the whole day?" You looked oddly lost and crestfallen. It bothered Sans.

"i dunno. relax, maybe." Sans shrugged, though he squeezed your hand softly to try and reassure you. After a moment, you retuned it. 

Even when you got to your house, you couldn't sit still. Sans watched you pace and rearrange your bookshelves several times from his place on the sofa. You'd sit for a minute, fidget, then get up and start all over again. At one point, you beat your forehead on a random wall for several moments before sighing and just standing there, forehead resting gently against the wall.

Silence.

"Do you think he's okay?"

"pretty sure."

Silence.

"Do you think he's confused or not keeping up?"

"they put them into groups based on how much they know. he's a smart kid. he should be fine."

Silence. You came and sat beside him.

"I'm worried about him."

"what? why?"

"Monster kids grow up so fast. I can hardly keep up." You sighed, looking away. 

Ohhhhh. So that's what this was about. 

"he won't leave you in the dust just yet. just cause he's going to school doesn't mean he won't be clingy as a burr."

"I guess."

More silence.

"Do you remember the day we first met?"

He couldn't help the way his bones clicked when he abruptly tensed. Why...?

"I still have the scar you gave me." 

His eyes reflexively went to your leg, watching as you shifted them to cross one over the other. "yeah. of course i remember."

"I'm still surprised you let me go. I thought for sure you would finish me off."

"you were pretty determined to get past. i had to respect that."

"You had me right where you wanted me. I was hurt, I was tired, I was pissed off, but I was... I don't know. For some reason, I just wanted to keep going."

"didn't realize i'd gotten you until after i let you go. then it was too late to do anything about it."

"I thought you saw right through me and took pity on me, for whatever reason."

"i'm still surprised you could dodge so well."

"Aha, well, if the monsters in the ruins told me anything, it's how to dodge monster attacks. Most of the time, you guys use the same few moves over and over again. After you get used to the pattern, it's easy enough. You threw me through a loop, though. Couldn't get a gage on what was coming until it was already coming." 

"thanks, i try."

"Ha ha, very funny."

Silence.

"But... Why?"

His magic ran cold. "why what?"

"When the other monsters tried to kill me, they all spoke of a greater cause- to break the barrier. But you... You just kept taunting me about being a lost human trapped in a monster's underground, about how the big bad skeleton had me right where he wanted me, and the way you were grinning... It seemed like a kind of sport. Like a pastime. Sans, have you seen the other humans? Fought them? Killed them?"

His soul pounded in his ribcage. Did you know? How could you know? Was it possible? He'd never considered. What did you think of him? What could you think of him, when all he had proven to be was-

"The six souls. Did you meet them?"

Oh. He caught his sigh of relief just before it escaped him. "no. the last one died just before my time."

"Oh."

Silence.

"I can't hate you guys. No matter how fucked up you all are. No matter how many times you've all tried to kill me. If I've been taught anything, it's that anyone can be a good person if they just try. Helvetica's been a real eye-opener. Have you noticed how much you guys have changed since he came along? It's... amazing."

"yeah, i noticed."

"I guess we all just needed a healthy dose of little kid shenanigans, huh?" You chuckled, but you wouldn't meet his gaze. "I really do think that, by the way. About how anyone can be good if they try. I see it every day."

"oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." You laughed, turning to look at him. "Did you know that, for the longest time, I thought you would be the bane of my existence until I finally got myself killed? And somehow I ended up falling for you. I'm not sure where the transition took place, but, hey, there you go."

He wasn't sure how to respond. Why was this suddenly coming up? Why now, of all times? And why did it make him feel so awful? 

He knew why. He just didn't want to think about himself, even his past self, hurting you, physically or mentally. He didn't want to think of that scar on your leg. He didn't want to think about how he attempted ward off his own turmoil by shoving you around two years ago. He didn't want you to think about it, either. 

"i'm... sorry."

You looked at him in surprise. He had to force himself to meet your gaze. "What? Why?"

"cause of all the shit i put you through. honestly, there's no good excuse for it. as much as i wish i hadn't, i did and i'm shit for it. there's no real reason for you to be with me at all."

"Oh, Sans." Your expression softened, and you reached out and grabbed his hand. He still couldn't get over how small your hands felt in his. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I just... didn't know what to say. I should have thought before I opened my mouth. I don't... I don't think of you as what you used to do. I think of you as my big, dorky, edgy skeleton. Okay?"

He buried his head in his hood, attempting to hide the blush glowing red on his cheeks. "sure."

You laughed, leaning over to bump his shoulder with yours. "Sorry. I should've paid more attention to what was coming out of my mouth. At least, I'm glad Vet wasn't here to hear all that." You chuckled weakly, looking away. "Hey, that's something. We can talk about whatever while he's at school."

"yeah."

"Hey, can we do the thing?"

He was more than happy to cuddle with you until it was time to pick up Helvetica. It was much better than talking about... things before.

 

When school let out, you were outside waiting for Helvetica with Sans. Some of the kids gathered in a group off to one side, rough housing in the snow, apparently waiting for parents or some guardian figure to come and pick them up. Others immediately took off for their homes. Helvetica and MK came out at the back of the crowd, trotting along side by side. When Helvetica spotted you waiting at the edge of the school grounds, he raced up and leaped into your awaiting arms. You laughed, spinning him in a circle.

"Hey, kiddo! How was your first day?"

"Was fun! So many new monsters!" He squealed, then squirmed when you peppered his face with kisses. 

"I'm glad you had fun, Vet." He purred when you smiled at him, bumping his nose against your cheeks. That done, he squirmed from your grasp and bounced into Sans' hands.

"Sans! Sans! It was fun!"

"so i've heard."

You walked through Snowdin in a group, Helvetica and MK talking enthusiastically about their day and the classes they shared together and how the other kids were bragging about their magic in the schoolyard. You seemed relieved that Helvetica was still so ecstatic and full of energy even as he waved off his friend as he continued on to Waterfall. 

"I was worried he'd not want to go again or have a bad time or something." You whispered to Sans at one point, watching as Helvetica jumped into a snow poff, spraying snow everywhere. Sans couldn't help but snort despite the jab it got him. It was hard to imagine Helvetica getting deterred from anything for any reason. 

"Sans! Sans!"

"what is it, kid?"

"I drawed you!"

"oh, really?"

"Yeah! Look!"

"not bad, kiddo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter only exists so that Helvetica is in school now kill me it's awful 
> 
> Now accepting school prompts!! :D And also just regular ones? Have a prompt? Leave a comment!


	28. Proud

Time passed. It became routine for Helvetica to be found doing homework or random extra credit things for his classes. It also became routine for you to help him, sometimes with Sans' help. As it turned out, Helvetica wasn't very good at math. And neither were you. For a while, you would call up Sans to remind you how one thing or another worked, as apparently monsters also taught faster than humans and you didn't remember how to find the distance between two points without using a graph.

After a little while, though, the calls stopped. When asked, you informed him Helvetica had found someone to help him out and now went to them whenever he needed it.

"okay. who?"

"His friend from Waterfall. That's the direction he always goes, anyway. It's such a short distance, I normally just let him go on his own."

Helvetica was excited to talk about all the new things he was learning, especially about reading. As it turned out, he was turning into a bookworm, and to finally be able to enjoy a book without having it read to him was something of a wonder to him. For a while, while he was still constantly informed about what was happening and what the kid was learning, Sans wasn't exactly a required piece to the puzzle and was thrown out of the loop. After a time, however, he more or less became a... 'PTA parent' (as you so reflexively called it? He didn't get it. Maybe it was human thing) right beside you, keeping track of Helvetica's grades and school events as they approached. So far, he hadn't really played a large part in anything of the sort, more or less just an onlooker, someone on the outside.

Then, one day, as he was laying on your sofa, 'watching over' Vet while you were at work, he heard Helvetica's little claws tiptoeing across the wooden floors. Then he jumped up beside him and promptly dropped a handful of stapled papers onto Sans' stomach. Sans cracked an eye open, then sat up.

"what is it, kid?" He picked up the handful of sheets, eyes flicking over the words:

'As we've now covered the basics of magic, we'll move on to your first project. The task is to create something driven and powered by magic alone, or to create something made of lasting magic. Listed below are a few examples and the rubric that will be used to grade it:'

Helvetica wagged his tail excitedly, clasping his little feathered hands together. "Sans! Can you help?"

"gee, i don't know." Sans scratched his jaw, looking pointedly away. "i've got a whoooole lot of stuff to do. i am a busy skeleton, you know."

Helvetica's frill drooped, and he whined quietly. "Oh."

"but i think i can make an exception this once."

The way Helvetica immediately brightened up again could have lit up the whole underground. "Yay! Thank you, Sans!"

Sans ruffled the kid's feathers. "on one condition." Helvetica titled his head curiously. "we do it my way. no taking the easy way out and picking one of the examples."

"Okay!"

"alright. now, let's see what we've got."

When you came home to see the two of them 'discussing' (Sans saying something and Helvetica nodding enthusiastically) over a few concept sheets, Helvetica's book on magic, and the assignment sheets, you looked visibly relieved.

"He asked me to help yesterday, but... Well." You scratched the back of your head. "I'm not exactly practiced in magic."

"S'okay!" Helvetica jumped onto the table to bump his nose against your hand reassuringly. You chuckled, picking him up and putting him back in his seat.

"Works looking good, kiddo. I'm sure your teachers will be impressed."

Helvetica squeaked, putting his hands to his cheeks.

"Now, what are we thinking?"

"kid wants to do something with flowers."

"Ooh. Sounds cool."

"sounds like it's gonna take a while. you sure you have the dedication, kid?"

"Yeah! It'll be fun!"

"that's not the word i would have used when i was your age, but okay."

 

Sans checked the handful of different flowers again, making sure they were all getting what they needed. The two echo flowers and two buttercups all bobbed gently in their temporary pots, clearly as healthy as could be, good candidates for Helvetica's project. He'd only have the best, after all. Though it had been stressful to sneak the plants out of waterfall without being noticed by nosy or hostile monsters.

A loud snap of magic in the dining room drew Sans away from his studying. A flash of alarm made Sans step hastily out of the kitchen, afraid the kid had attempted something that had backfired and hurt him. "kid?"

Helvetica was sitting beside the large, altered flower pot, shaking green magic out of his feathers. There was smudge under his eye as he lifted his head to look at the skeleton, grinning. "Sans!"

Sans chuckled, a faint breath a relief escaping alongside it as he walked up and carefully rubbed the smudge away. "eesh, kid, you gotta be more careful. no doing magic without me around to make sure things don't blow you to bits, 'kay?"

"Okay!"

"your flowers are looking good, kiddo. you ready to try and power this thing?"

"Yeah! Yeah!"

 

Helvetica squirmed in circles in his place at Sans' side, occasionally reaching out to put a hand on one of his knees. His feathers were reflexively fluffing up and squishing down, a sure sign he was nervous. It was nearly time for the ribbons (entirely for bragging rights, in Sans' opinion) to be passed out to the 'best or most efficient' projects and their creators (or, the kids who sat back while their parents tried to make something over the top and impressive).

But where were you? You had promised to come, even if meant pissing off Grillby in order to do so. It was clear Helvetica was worried you wouldn't be able to keep up that promise. To be honest, Sans was, too. Helvetica had been so excited for this dumb thing the whole week leading up to it. Sans wouldn't want him to be let down. Besides, he was kind of looking forward to seeing what you thought, too.

Though he'd never say so out loud.

The monsters at the 'event' were beginning to congregate more closely. Helvetica's frill drooped slightly, but it was clear he was trying to put on a happier look for Sans' sake.

Just then, there was a disturbance at the edge of the crowd. Someone was forcing themselves through. Several monsters made noises of disapproval or twisted to shoot looks in the direction of the newcomer. Then-

"Sans?" Your voice hissed above the grunts and murmurs of anger. 

He stuck a hand up, and a second later you had found your way to the little bubble that was cleared around him. Helvetica instantly brightened, jumping over to put his hands on your knees.

"Mom! Mom! You're here!"

You chuckled, stooping to give his head a little pat. "Course I am. Didn't I promise?"

Several monsters within hearing range murmured unhappily or shifted to give you looks. You ignored them, standing up straight and moving to brush Sans' shoulder.

"Have they given them out yet?" You whispered, casting a glance around. Sans prepared to give you an answer, but some monster at the head of the crowd did it for him. 

"Settle down. Settle down. We'll be giving out the first, second, and third place ribbons, with one extra for an honorable mention. Consider it a tie for third place." 

Helvetica danced in place excitedly, looking up to shoot you a grin. You let out a chuckle, smiling back at him. You bumped Sans with your shoulder.

"How much money do you wanna bet you guys' is gonna win?"

Sans couldn't help but grin, though he had his doubts. It wasn't exactly the usual thing monsters looked for in these bullshit projects.

"First place goes to..."

Helvetica was still squirming with excitement as first and second place went past without his name being called, eyes bright as he clutched at the front of his sweater with his tiny, clawed wings. 

"Third place goes to... Terus B. Ell, for his perpetual motion weapon modifier." 

You let out a small breath besides Sans, eyes following some rust colored monster kid as they trotted towards where the ribbon waited for him, nose up and a smirk on his short muzzle. He seemed somewhat older than Vet, one or two years at the least. Sans couldn't help but feel unimpressed as he flashed the ribbon to the group of surrounding monsters, looking very full of himself; he'd seen the project- with many others like it- in the ring of those displayed, and, in all honesty, it looked like the easiest to construct. He snorted when his parent greeted him with a 'proud' nod. Helvetica looked vaguely disappointed.

"Honorable mention to... Helvetica, for his... self-sustaining flower pot project."

For a moment, it seemed Helvetica didn't believe it. Then he gasped, racing through a parting crowd to the monster waiting for him, blue ribbon in hand. The monster had to stoop to pass it to him, and he took it gingerly between his jaws. 

You were grinning, looking so incredibly proud of the little ball of fluff and feathers. You shoved Sans with you shoulder, shooting him an excited look. He buried the lower half of his face into the fur of coat, though it did nothing to hide the stupid grin on his face, too.

Helvetica came bouncing back up the path of parted monsters that quickly closed behind him to watch, ribbon fluttering comically around his face. If he smiled any broader, his face might just split in half. 

He let out a muffled sound as he flew into Sans' arms, jaws quickly parting to drop the ribbon into his hands, tail beating sharply against Sans' hands as he hastily caught him. He looked so amazingly happy and pleased and proud and eager, like this was the culmination of all his life's work and it had went just as planned, better, even. Something fluttered in Sans' soul, no matter how he tried to ignore it.

"Dad! Dad! Look! We got a ribbon!" Helvetica chattered at a million words a minute, holding the ribbon up and nearly sticking it into Sans' face. Sans grinned down at the little ball of feathery energy in his arms, the fluttering in his soul getting stronger.

...

'Dad.'

Sans' eyes snapped up to scan the crowd, anxiety making sweat pop on his skull. Dozens of eyes were trained on him, young and old, familiar and unfamiliar, hostile and annoyed and agitated and deathly curious all at once. The fluttering his soul didn't die down. It was awfully distracting. Even your eyes were on him, disbelief and something else making them study his face intently. 

He should have corrected the kid; in this place, if you were soft, you would be cut out of the equation, one way or another. He had a reputation to keep up. This wasn't his kid. Not by their standards. It was just a stupid ribbon. To accept would mean he was beneath them, one way or another. Kill or be killed, in this place. He should have just dropped the kid and snubbed his nose at this whole business.

But, god damn, was it hard to remember when the kid's big, bright green eyes were smiling at him so adoringly. 

And you know what? Fuck reputations. They were for the weak, anyway. 

"we sure did, kiddo." He tore his gaze away from the crowd, grinning at the kid as he tried hard to ignore the crowds gazes burning holes into his skull. 

Vet's tail beat harder against Sans' jacket sleeves, eyes crinkling as his grin grew. Suddenly, something seemed to occur to him, and he looked at the ribbon with purpose, turning it over. 

"Here! Dad! For you!" He fumbled with the pin on the back of it for several moments, then slid it into a fold of Sans' jacket, clipping shut a moment later. "For you!"

For some reason, Sans almost wanted to cry. 

He clutched the kid closer, grinning broader when his wings wrapped around his jaw and the kid let out a pleased noise. "yeah. uh, thanks, kiddo." 

Helvetica butted his nose against Sans' jaw when he pulled away, giving him a toothy, open-mouthed grin. Sans chuckled, raising a hand to ruffle his feathers. 

Suddenly, you were at his shoulder, eyes locking with his and studying his carefully. "He calls you... dad?" 

For a moment, Sans didn't know what to say. "... yeah."

You smiled, clasping your arms around both he and Helvetica, effectively squishing the kid between you in process. He squealed, but reached up and butted his nose against your chin. 

"I'm proud of you guys!" You drew away, touching a thumb to the ribbon. "You deserve it." 

Helvetica leaped from Sans' arms to your shoulder, almost making you stagger. You chuckled, putting a hand up to steady him. You were either oblivious to the glares being shot your way, or you were very good at ignoring them.

The monsters broke up a moment after that, splitting into groups to brag or make false claims. As you turned, Helvetica upon your shoulders, to make for the town, Sans was aware of the feeling to being watched. He turned back to give whoever it was another fierce look, but nobody was there. 

He tried to brush it off as him being paranoid as you ran through Snowdin, plowing through snow drifts and under branches laden with snow, much to Helvetica's delight. You kicked the door to Grillby's open, calling out loudly to the few stragglers still inside, "All make way for the best kid in town!" 

Sans chuckled as he sat beside you at the bar. Grillby came up, took your order, then met Sans' eye as he passed. His gaze flicked to the ribbon still pinned to his jacket, then back up to his face. Sans just grinned. 

Nothing would ruin that feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. All of the fluff. All of it.
> 
> Also, I like to imagine that Vet hops like little sparrows do when he gets really excited. Just me?
> 
> Still taking prompts!


	29. Math is nothing but symbols

Sans knew what was coming. He just didn't know when.

He also didn't know if the kid was going to be around to see it or not. He could only hope not. As much as he valued his life, he was in the same boat you were when it came to letting him see large displays of violence.

Despite it coming around at a somewhat inopportune time, he was not surprised in the least.

He was walking Helvetica through Snowdin, the feathery monster taking a ride in his hood, head beside his own. The short, downy feathers of his cheek tickled against his temple. Sans didn't even try to ignore the looks following him as he trailed slowly through the trampled snow; there was no point. He was always very aware of eyes on him. To have dozens at once sent his magic prickling. Still, the farthest he went in acting on the instinct to impale every single one of them was returning a look. He'd been lucky no one had tried something yet, but he could practically feel that it was just around the corner.

"Sans!" Helvetica suddenly spoke excitedly in his ear, shifting slightly. He'd taken to a habit of shifting between using 'Sans' or 'Dad' interchangeably. "Can we go to the libraby?"

"library. they spelled the sign wrong."

"Oh." A thoughtful pause. "Libraby is funner to say."

"more fun."

"More fun to say."

Sans chuckled. "sure, we can go."

"Yes! Thank you! Can you help me?"

"help you what?"

"Pick out a books?"

Sans snickered under his breath. "sure thing."

"Yes!"

He pushed the door to the old, dusty building open, eyes briefly meeting the ones of the monster behind the desk. Their look wasn't hostile, thank god. They nodded as he passed, and he thought he saw an amused smile on their face as Helvetica wiggled out from his hood and onto his shoulder.

"Sans?"

"yeah."

"Mom says you like... sigh fight. What's that?"

Sans stifled another chuckle. "sci-fi, short for science fiction. i'll show you."

The next... half hour? Forty five minutes? Was spent scanning the shelves, pulling out a few novels only to put them back again when they had excessive violence or humans as the main antagonist. If a book was out of reach, Helvetica would either stand on Sans' shoulder or crawl up using the shelves below as footholds to grab it, then jumping down into Sans' awaiting arms. Eventually, Helvetica buried his nose in a book and sat happily at one of the tables scattered around. Sans sat beside him, vague nostalgia making him doze off as he tried to recall the books he had been interested in at that age.

The monster at the desk, peering out the window, suddenly twisted in their seat and snapped their fingers, getting Sans' attention. All they did was nod toward the window, eyes shifting to look at something outside. Sans stood with a sigh, ruffling Helvetica's feathers in passing.

"stay here, kiddo. dads got something to... attend to."

Helvetica hummed in response, too focused on the book in his hands to be concerned with the odd choice of words.

Sans paced across the smudged wooden floor, shoes snuffing through dusty bunnies in the process. He paused before pushing the door open, glancing back to make sure Helvetica was still in his seat. Then he rolled the doorknob in his hand and stepped out into the icy chill.

Something small and sharp hissed past his head. He barely flinched as it lodged itself in the snow several feet away. He took a moment before taking another step and letting the door click shut behind him, turning on his heels to face whoever was looking for a fight.

Cattamy. Somehow, he wasn't surprised.

The cat sneered, ears folding back to flatten against his head as he straightened. The tip of his tail jittered just above the snow. "So. Word is you've finally took the kid as your own."

"always has been." Sans grinned, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Monsters walking past shifted to watch. He ignored the prickling against the back of his neck.

"Disgusting!" The cat spat, the fur on the back of his neck lifting in a spiky ridge. His tail lashed, clearly not pleased at the response. "I almost knew you'd be soft enough to accept such a pathetic worm. Being raised by a human, none the less. Ah, how could I forget? You're the one that's been wanting to shag the human for ages now." He sneered again, narrowing his eyes.

Sans kept his ground, waiting. If there was one thing these fur balls were well known for their lack of subtly. He was trying to goad him into making the first move. Not yet.

His fur twitched in agitation at the lack of response, glare shifting. A sharp, angry grin pulled at his lips. "Hey, I've been looking to restuff my old coat. You wouldn't happen to know where I'd find something feathered and runt sized, would you?"

To say the cat was unprepared for the attack would probably be pretty accurate. He shrieked and squirmed in the air as the ring of monsters surrounding the two backed away a step. After a moment, his cloak ripped and he plummeted to the ground in a heap of flailing limbs, quickly righting himself as his tail lashed furiously behind him. He made a dash at Sans, but didn't make it very far.

He was pinned again, dangling from a particularly sharp shard of bone as a Gaster Blaster readied itself above him, while Sans debated just getting rid of the nuisance once and for all. By this time, the ring of monsters had broadened well away, some hunkered behind buildings or putting something between them and the massive goat skull, whirring energy swirling inside its opening jaws.

Just then, a door clicked to Sans' right.

"Sans?"

The bones quickly dissipated into white swirls, indistinguishable from the snow around them, as the Gaster Blaster dissipated into heavier pellets. An extended hand caught Cattamy as he fell. Sans turned, hands in his pockets, to face Helvetica as he hopped off the libraries front steps and up to his side. The crackling feeling of magic was still in the air, but it was clear Helvetica wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Sans? You 'kay?"

"yep. what's up, buddy?"

Papyrus held a fidgeting Cattamy at arm's length, eye sockets narrowed at the injured fur ball. Cattamy avoided his gaze.

"Hey, no need for the look, boss. I can explain!"

"TRY ME."

Cattamy instantly fell limp in his grasp, head falling. "Alright, so I can't."

"THATS WHAT I THOUGHT. I'LL BE EXPECTING TO FIND YOU AT YOUR POST ONCE I DECIDE WHAT YOUR PUNISHMENT WILL BE, WITH UNDYNE'S APPROVAL."

To say the feline looked both sorry for himself and terrified all at once would be an understatement. He dragged himself away from the congregation and the ring of monsters dispersed.

Helvetica, book clutched tightly in his hands, looked up and brightened, leaping over to the taller skeleton. "Pap! Pap!"

Papyrus' 'Royal guard' expression fell away as he stooped to greet the smaller monster. "AH, GREETINGS, HELVETICA. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT THERE?"

"Books! Sans helped me find them!" Helvetica held up the novel in his hands, which Papyrus briefly scrutinized before he shook his head.

"LEAVE IT TO SANS TO PICK THE DOWNRIGHT MOST AWFUL BOOKS IN THE ENTIRE LIBRARY. THIS SIMPLY WONT DO. COME, SMALL MONSTER! I WILL FIND YOU SOME PROPER LITERATURE." He scooped up Helvetica, book and all, striding back into the library without another word.

Sans shook his head, cast a glance around, then followed them back into the library. All in all? That went better than expected.

 

It was the following night when Sans' curiosity got the better of him.

He was sitting on your sofa, half way dozing in the dim light, while you hummed some tune from the surface as you did something in the kitchen (dishes, more than likely). Suddenly, Helvetica trotted up to the door, an armful of papers and pens and a large book under one arm. Sans blinked himself awake.

"where you off to, pal?"

"Math buddy!" He waved as he stepped out into the darkening underground. "Be back soon!"

"Be safe!" You called from the kitchen.

Helvetica called out one last goodbye, the door clicking shut behind him. Sans narrowed his eyes at the door, something like suspicions crawling up his spine. You sat heavily beside him.

"What's up? You've got your thinking face on."

"he called him 'math buddy.' why not just call him by his name?"

"Dunno. Maybe it's a kid thing. My friends and I used to nickname each other." You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath. You opened them again, studied him a moment, then rolled your eyes as you stood. "If it bothers you so much, go with him and find out why. They're just kids; they probably won't mind you tagging along. I've heard Vet bragging about you often enough to know MK probably thinks you're pretty cool, too."

Sans looked away, embarrassed, but hesitated. You waved a hand as you trailed away. "I'm going to take a shower. Entertain yourself however."

Sans hesitated even after you disappeared, but stood and stepped out the door a moment later.

It didn't take long to locate the kid on his 'soul-radar:' he was nearing Waterfall. One shortcut later, and he watched the kid as he trotted through the arch into Waterfall. Vet paused, touching his nose to an echo flower, tilting his head as he listened, then trotted on. He dipped his toes into the creek that split the room with a small yellow bird sitting on the other side, quickly drew away, backed up a few paces, then cleared the gap in a single jump.

Sans kept out of sight for fear of Helvetica getting paranoid of his 'dad' encroaching on his privacy, sticking close to walls or rocky outcroppings. Something... just didn't feel right.

Helvetica scampered through the archway into the next cavern, and Sans took a quick shortcut to beat him there. He stood and eyed the opening in the cave wall, waiting for the kid to come trotting through, small grin ever on his face.

But nobody came.

He waited, a prickling feeling crawling up his spine, eyes trained on the doorway. No sign of him. He reached out, searching for him, but still nothing. Absolutely nothing.

It was as if he had simply ceased to exist.

Sans paced back and forth through the two connected rooms for several minutes, anxiety clawing up and down his spine. He reached out until it tired him to do so, in any and all directions. There was nothing. No one. The kid was just... gone. Even if he had been... dusted, the remains of his magic, his soul, would have left some kind of feeling behind. But there was nothing! How could there be nothing?!

Calm down. Deep breaths. Panicking will get you nowhere.

The only time he could remember something like this happening was when...

Sans paused mid step, turning to looking at the short section of wall between the two rooms. There was something... odd here. He could feel it. He wasn't sure why, but it felt like, in another life, there had been something here.

He neared one wall and hesitantly put a hand to the surface. After a moment, he stepped away and took guard in a corner to watch. And wait.

 

He looked away for a moment, the next he was aware of a shift in the air and the chatter of Helvetica's voice. His head snapped up. Helvetica was excitedly saying something to someone- someone he couldn't see through the gray door that stood part way open. He waved, said a goodbye, and the door swung shut as he trotted off in the direction of Snowdin. A door...? Sans rushed into the short passage, checking both of the walls.

No doors in sight.

Something prickled up and down Sans' spine, sharp as spiders legs. He backed away from the passage, uneasy and paranoid. Something about all of this left a bad taste in his mouth.

He was quick to catch up to Helvetica, finding him in the short hallway attaching Snowdin to Waterfall.

"h-hey, kiddo."

Helvetica perked up, turning with a surprised expression that quickly turned into a happy one. "Sans!"

"so. uh. how'd the... math go?"

"It was good! Look, look!" Helvetica dropped some of his stuff, holding out a sheet of paper to Sans. He took it hesitantly, eyeing it carefully. It looked like something had been written in the margins or beneath some of the scribbled work, but it was either erased or too smudged to make out.

If nothing else, it looked like the math had been properly done. "looks good, kiddo. how's your... math buddy doing?"

Helvetica took the paper back, scooping up the other things he had dropped and arranging them carefully again. "He's good! He don't say a lot, but he's smart! He's good! He helps a lot!"

"he, uh, sounds pretty cool, kiddo. you think we could... meet 'im some day?"

Helvetica seemed to mull it over, taking one of Sans' hands as he started for home again. "I'll ask! He's shy, though."

"uh-huh."

Sans couldn't ignore the icy cold feeling sliding up and down the back of his neck as he walked the kid through Snowdin, nor the suspicions still making him uneasy. He just couldn't shake the feeling that the one behind that door just might be...

Helvetica opened the door and trotted inside, calling out for you. You came around the corner from the kitchen, giving the kid a smile.

"Hey, kiddo. Have fun? Get your homework done?"

"Yeah!"

When you looked up to meet Sans' gaze, your expression immediately shifted. After a moment, you told Helvetica to put his things in his bag in his room, then turned to Sans, reaching a hand out to him carefully.

"You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

He pressed his teeth briefly to your collarbone, tension lessening as you draped an arm around him and rubbed his back softly. For a moment, he wondered if he should tell you.

"... 'm fine. don't worry about it."

You sighed, though it sounded amused. "Oh, my dearest Sans. You only ever let me so close and no closer."

He chuckled, pressing his teeth to your neck before pulling away as Helvetica came trotting back into the living room, a book clutched in his tiny hands.

There was no point telling you. Would you even believe him? Besides, it didn't seem to be doing any harm. He'd just have to keep an eye on things and make sure nothing bad happened. At the very least, Helvetica's math scores had been fairly high and seemed to be staying there.

Sans knew he shouldn't be surprised; he'd had the same tutor, and he was good at what he did.

 

Sans had fallen asleep on your couch, so he was still there when Helvetica woke in the middle of the night. He cracked an eye open, still drowsy and half-asleep as the door to the closet creaked quietly open. There was shuffling, then a small thump. The door creaked quietly closed again.

Sans, awake by this time, was ready to stand and face an intruder when Helvetica came tiptoeing through the living room, a blanket folded over his back. Confused, Sans watched as he went into the kitchen. Late night snack, maybe? The cookie jar clinked. Yeah, that had be it.

But then, Helvetica tiptoed to the door and slowly, quietly open. He slipped through and gently closed it behind him. What on earth...?

Sans followed him as he ran through Snowdin, blanket shifting on his back as he vigorously pumped his legs through the snow. He was headed for Waterfall.

He followed the kid all the way to the bird's room again, the bird now snoozing silently on the creek bank. Helvetica jumped the gap, then jogged into the short hallway again. Here, he paused.

He faced one wall, looked at it silently for a moment, then lowered the blanket to the ground in front of it. On top of it, he carefully placed two peanut butter cookies. With that, he turned and ran back the way he came, disappearing as he rounded a corner.

Sans waited before following him, watching that spot in the wall that Helvetica had watched so carefully.

As he watched, a thin sliver of gray rose from the floor and broadened into a smooth, gray door. After a moment, it opened. There was a pause, then two disembodied hands reached out and gingerly picked up the blanket, cookies and all, and disappeared back behind the door. The door clicked shut, and slid back out of existence again.

It took Sans several minutes before he turned and walked back to your home. By the time he got there, Helvetica was already in bed, fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ,,, 
> 
> IlikeGasterfuckyou  
> Noithasnostoryrelevance  
> Suemeforit
> 
> Two in one??? Two in one. They were too short alone, so,,,,
> 
> Here you go I guess


	30. you're so great

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I always thought I might be bad,  
>  Now I'm sure that it's true, ___

And then, suddenly, there was a change.

Or maybe, not so suddenly. Sans wasn't entirely sure when it started- for a while, he had been too wrapped in carefully watching for signs of the monster behind the door doing anything of a darker nature to the kid to actually notice any change until it was quite suddenly thrust into the limelight of his consciousness.

He was sitting in your living room, having recently brought Helvetica home from school. You were at work and wouldn't be home for another hour or so. Helvetica had gone to put his bag in his room, though he'd been taking a while. Dozing somewhat, Sans began to wonder if he should check on him. Maybe he was working on his homework?

Then he heard the tip-tap of Helvetica's clawed feet coming across the floor. They came closer, then there was a long pause. With a small huff, Helvetica jumped up beside him and crawled gingerly into his lap. When Sans cracked an eye open to watch him, he froze and made to move away.

"Sorry, sorry!" He hastily made to back up, looking ashamed? Sans raised a hand, ruffling the kid's frill gently.

"nah. what's up, kid? something you want to do?" Probably go to the library, or stop by Grillby's to say hi, or...

"No. Not really. I just wanna... sit here for a while. Is that okay?" Helvetica looked away briefly, slowly crawling into Sans' lap again. When Sans nodded, somewhat confused, Helvetica turned in a circle a few times, then relaxed with his head on Sans' ribcage.

Sans gently ran a hand down Helvetica's back, eyeing him. That was... odd. Maybe he had a tiring day at school. He hadn't mentioned anything that seemed to be bothering him, and Sans hadn't noticed any drastic changes in his routine that might incite a negative reaction. Maybe it was just an off day.

Helvetica stayed like that, laying against Sans with his hands gently clinging to folds in his jacket, for a long time, but he didn't fall asleep. Sans noticed his eyes stayed open, and it was almost as if he was listening to something. After a time, Sans shifted, jarring the kid into sitting up, and gently moved Helvetica to the cushion beside him before standing. Sans stretched, and moved to head for the kitchen.

"Sans, wait!"

Sans paused, looking over his shoulder. Helvetica reached a hand out to him, eyes surprisingly pleading. Sans turned back, cocking his head as he shuffled back to sit beside the smaller orange monster.

Helvetica reached for his hand, so Sans extended it to him. Helvetica turned it over, palm facing him and fingers stretched gently out in a common flat-hand position. Helvetica released it to instead put his own hand flat against it, and it was then that Sans realized just how drastic the size difference between them was: Helvetica's tiny, clawed fingers could barely stretch across his palm, not even brushing where his own fingers met the knuckles.

Helvetica's expression shifted as he laid his hand flat against Sans', simply looking at the two for a few moments before pulling away. He looked down at his own hands for a moment before curling them into tiny, loose fists. He avoided Sans' gaze for a moment, leaving Sans wondering if he had done something wrong. Then he stood and crawled onto Sans' shoulder.

"What's for dinner?"

"dunno. what do you want?"

"I don't know."

Sans made a mental note to tell you Helvetica was having a less than stellar day when you got home. Maybe some kind of sweet or dessert was in order.

 

A few days passed until Sans was truly aware of the change again. He came to your home, a little while after you had already picked up Helvetica for school on one of your few days off, only to find seemingly no one inside. He spent a moment metaphorically scratching his head until he spotted the door to your painting room slightly ajar- the room that had been used less and less since Helvetica had started going to school.

When he stepped inside, he found you sitting in the middle of the room, looking troubled. Helvetica was standing in front of the usually drape-covered wall, staring up at the paintings of the surface as he pressed his hands to them. The drape was only halfway open, covering the scrawls of what Sans could only assume were humans you knew from the surface.

He came and sat beside you, watching Helvetica scan the paintings upon paintings of clouds, mountains, trees, holes in the ground. You didn't look away from the kid even when Sans accidentally bumped you with his shoulder.

"He asked me if he could see what the surface looked like." You whispered, so quiet he almost couldn't hear you. "They must have learned about humans today. I didn't know what else to do. I wasn't prepared for this, even if I should have been. Denial, I guess."

Sans suddenly understood why you were so tense and why there was an odd, uneasy feeling hanging in the air, and was then tense and uneasy himself. There was one question hanging in the air, unsaid, and Sans didn't have to guts to speak it himself.

After a moment, Helvetica turned away from the painted wall and came trailing over to sit directly in front of you, not meeting your gaze for several seconds. Then, he looked up, eyes questioning and confused.

"If you've seen the surface, can I see it, too?"

"It... doesn't work that way, buddy." You sighed, looking sympathetic.

"If you've seen the surface, but we can't... Why are you down here?"

"I fell into Mount Ebott and found everyone down here couldn't get back out again. I don't know why I was on Mt. Ebott. I just was. It doesn't matter."

"But why can't we get out?"

You took a few moments before you answered. "A few years ago... I climbed a mountain with a purpose I can't remember, and I fell down a hole in the ground. The only way out, I was told, was through the barrier, which could only be broken by seven human souls. And the monsters had six. If they could have mine, we could all get out of here. But... That didn't happen. I didn't let it happen. If another human falls down here, or if something happens to me, everyone trapped down here could see the surface."

A long silence. Helvetica turned to look over his shoulder at the mural of Mt. Ebott, gold against a gold background. You looked... sad. Like you had never wanted to have this conversation.

"The monsters at school said all humans are bad. That they're the ones who trapped us all underground. How can humans be so bad if you're so good?"

Your expression softened, and you reached out and ran your fingers along the tips of Helvetica's feathery frill. "Oh, Vet. ...A long, long time ago, humans and monsters used to live together on the surface." Vet nodded, looking troubled but curious. "But the two races, both thinking they were being conspired against, went to war with each other. Eventually, the humans won, and, afraid of monsters magic, drove them underground. Seven powerful human magicians sealed them there with a barrier. The humans that did that were rash and shortsighted, and, yes, might have been bad, but that was a long, long time ago. Most humans don't even remember it at all. To say all of them are bad for what a few did... It's a bad knee-jerk reaction, but it's not hard to see where it's coming from. To say none are bad is also not true. Just as bad monsters and good monsters can exist, the same can be said of humans. In all honesty, we're not too different, not really. We could all exist in the same over world if we just took off our rose-colored glasses. Unfortunately, not all monsters- or humans- would agree with me."

Helvetica looked down for a moment. "Is that why some monsters don't like you? Because you're a human? Some of them... Some of them say you're the one keeping us from what we all really want."

Sans winced. He had hoped the kid never would have learn what the underground still thought of his 'mother.'

"In a way, I am." You whispered, eyes soft but oddly closed off. "They're not bad for disliking me. Eventually, they'll learn to get over it, one way or another. Nothing is going to happen to me any time soon. Not if I can help it." You gave him a gentle smile, obviously trying to be reassuring.

Helvetica suddenly looked at Sans, then back at you, then again back at Sans again. There was something unreadable in his eyes.

"If you're a human, and dad's a monster... Where did I come from?"

Sans felt a stab sharper than any weapon. He could see you did, too, in the way you flinched ever so slightly, in the shift behind your eyes.

"... Heaven." Your answer was simple and all encompassing; in a way, it could be applied to anyone. Helvetica didn't seem to like it, but he didn't push the question anymore. "Vet, I know it must hard to take in. That your... 'mom' is pretty much the mortal enemy of your whole kind. And I'm sorry. But no matter what happens, we'll always love you, kiddo. Okay?" Sans murmured agreement beside you, feeling downright sorry for himself. And for the kid.

After a moment, Helvetica nodded. "Okay. No matter what, I'll always love you and dad, too. And please don't be sorry. You're... really great."

Helvetica crawled into Sans' lap, pressing the side of his head to his sternum. Sans draped his arms carefully around him, pressing his teeth to the top of the kid's head. For a long moment, they stayed that way- Helvetica, ear pressed to Sans' sternum, Sans, gingerly holding the kid he still hoped would think of him as his father. After a few minutes, Helvetica pulled away and crawled into your lap, doing the same as he had to Sans and you doing the same as Sans had, and it was then Sans realized just what the kid was doing- listening.

It was clear Vet noticed the shift in what was beneath his head- the soft 'whoosh'-ing of Sans' magic going over his bones rhythmically, and the stronger ba-thump, ba-thump of your blood being pumped through your four-chambered heart. After a moment of listening to your pulse, his eyes lifted to meet Sans', and there was something unspoken there- something Sans didn't like the feeling of.

But he didn't say anything. He didn't want to make the kid feel any more of any emotion than he already was.

After a moment, your eyes opened and you met Sans' gaze. You opened an arm to him, and he shifted closer to lean against you. Helvetica shuffled in your lap to lay against Sans' leg. For a long, long time, his eyes remained opened, still filled with something, some question he didn't voice. Then, his eyes slid shut and he let out a long breath before falling asleep a few moments later. Your head fell to rest upon Sans' shoulder, and you let out a similar breath.

"... I'm sorry." You whispered, turning your head to press your cheek against his collarbone almost sadly.

"not your fault. ... me, too." He pressed his teeth to your hair in what he hoped was a reassuring kiss, wanting nothing more than to sleep himself.

After that, he was very aware of the 'change' in Helvetica, in his shift in behavior. Change of appetite. Long bouts of quiet where, before, he would have been chattering away. The way he put more distance between himself and other monsters. The excessive apologies. The list went on. He asked you about it, and it was clear you had noticed it, too, but you were just as uncertain as he was.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because of the... you know, history lesson and learning about humans and how one of them is basically his parent. So long as we stick with him and be supportive, he should be okay, I think. If he doesn't get better soon, I'll... take him somewhere. Or something. Do monsters have therapists?"

"few and far between, but we can try."

"All right. Nothing changes, we'll find someone and work things out. God, I feel so useless."

"things'll be alright. you'll see."

You nodded, and, while you didn't look convinced, you looked somewhat reassured by having a plan of sorts. Things would turn out okay, one way or another. Things had to get worse before they got better, as you tended to say in times of crisis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I know a lot of people are looking forward to seeing more Reader and Sans fluff, and I promise, that's coming soon! But right now, it's time for Vet. Vet time. The era of Vet. Other phrase with 'Vet' slapped into it. Just keep on keeping on and bear with me. :)
> 
> Still taking prompts, by the way!!


	31. nothing like you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Cause I think you're so good,  
>  And I'm nothing like you. ___

And then, suddenly everything made sense.

You and Sans were walking, side by side, toward the school. You were a few minutes later than usual- something had caught you up just before you could head out- but neither of you was concerned; not too much, anyway. It was a nice day out; hanging out with the other kids a little before you showed up wouldn't be the end of the world. 

"I think his library books are going to overdue soon."

"normally he's pretty on top of that."

"Well, he can be pretty scatterbrained."

"ah, like mother like child, then?"

"Excuse you."

The schoolhouse came into view. In the courtyard just outside the building was the usual group of monster children, though they were grouped more tightly than usual, and they were making an awful lot of noise. As you drew slowly closer, it became apparent they had formed a ring around someone. You frowned.

"What do you think that's about?"

"not a clue."

A few steps closer, and you could make out what a few were squealing.

"Ewwww, he's one of /those/ kinds!"

"Look out, Terus! He might just drip on you!"

"Gross! Ha ha ha!"

Snickering and laughter shifted around the ring. MK was pacing furiously around the edge of the ring, pausing to butt their head against a few kids every now and then, raising their voice angrily to bark out 'Hey! Leave him alone!' The voices died down as one rose above the others, high pitched with distress. It almost sounded like...

"Terus, why would you do that? I didn't do anything!"

"Sh-Shut up! I didn't do anything!"

"Yes, you did! I saw you!"

"Hey, don't get near me!"

There was a sharp movement in the center of the circle, closely followed by a 'oomph!' As you picked up the pace, the circle rippled and shifted. A growl quickly rose a sound of- frustration?, and, one sharp crack later, the entire ring of young monsters was shoved back a few inches by something out of sight. You and Sans caught the attention of some of the kids as you came hastily up to investigate and they quickly parted to make way for you as you both started shoving your way through the crowd. 

Standing there, in the center of the group, was Helvetica and some rust colored monster kid you didn't recognize. When the strange monster kid spotted you, his expression shifted from furious to fearful in about .2 seconds. 

Helvetica was clutching at his right eye, expression both anxious and pained. When he looked up to see the disturbance and met your gaze with big, green tears spilling down his cheeks, his expression quickly changed to be ashamed. He lowered his hand but kept his eye clenched shut, revealing a scuff-like cut just above his eye. It seeped some amber, almost golden liquid, oozing slowly between his feathers.

Sans was floored. For a moment, he just stood there, staring at the bleeding injury.

Then, one of the kids in the crowd shouted "Scatter!" and they all took off in different directions. The rust colored monster looked like he couldn't believe it, glaring after them.

"Hey! Get back here! Don't leave me alone!"

When none of them came back, he glanced around, clearly panicked, and made a mad dash away from Helvetica. A wall of bones drew him to a sharp stop as you ran up to Helvetica, kneeling beside him in the snow.

The rust colored monster turned to face Sans as he approached, a trickle of sweat going dos his face as he tried to pull off a defiant expression.

"H-hey! Let me go, you sweaty freak!" 

A sharp, furious grin pulled at Sans' face, eye burning furiously in his socket. "and why should i do that? i'm just looking to return the favor." He took another few steps closer, and with each one, the kid grew to look more and more fearful for his life. 

"Dad!"

Something grabbed and tugged on Sans' pant leg. He furiously turned from his prey to glare at whoever dared to stop him, only to meet the teary gaze of a small, feathered monster.

"Dad. Please, don't." 

Helvetica eyes were pleading as he kept his hold on Sans' pant leg, steadily meeting his gaze through one eye. The monster kid, still trapped, looked at him as if he had lost his mind. Sans' rage flickered when his gaze raked across the cut again, but Helvetica's gaze burned a hole in his skull. After a moment, the bones sank down and dissolved. The monster kid glanced from Sans to Helvetica, then made a break for it. He didn't make it very far before some teacher caught him and forced him to sit on the steps of the school, waiting to see what came next.

Helvetica let out a breath he had apparently been holding, not meeting Sans' gaze as you came walking up. You kneeled beside him again, murmuring quietly as you gently ran a finger close to the cut and wiped the worst of his tears away. You passed him his bag, which apparently had been discarded somewhere, and he slipped it over his shoulder. He still wouldn't meet anyone's gaze, not even when MK came up and pressed their head gently to his shoulder before apologizing and saying they had to get home early because they had a project to work on.

You stood, hoisting Helvetica into your arms as you did, patting his back as he laid his head against your collarbone. "You're gonna be okay, buddy. You alright with going home with Sans while mom has a chat with the someone from the school? He can fix up your cut so it's like nothing even happened."

Helvetica nodded, and after a moment slid to the ground and took Sans' hand, staring at his feet. You nodded to Sans, then turned and furiously stomped over to where a teacher was standing beside what Sans could only assume was the offending kid's parent. You proceeded to raise your voice just enough to make a point, pointing at the kid. Sans couldn't quite make out what you were saying, but he got the general idea. 

Helvetica was silent the whole walk through Snowdin, gaze tracked on his feet as his hand loosely gripped Sans'. 

Sans felt some terrible mix of guilt and fury tumbling around inside his head, more than likely making his expression one not to be graced with a description. How could he not have realized?! He'd been through the same bullshit himself! It only took half a brain to realize what was going on! So why didn't he?! Why did he make up some half-assed excuse every time he should have been suspicious of Helvetica's change in appetite or attitude or sleeping habits?! Was he really that bad of a parent?!

... Was he really that bad of a parent?

Helvetica was still silent as Sans pushed the door to the house open and led him inside. He made the kid sit on the sofa as he went into the bathroom to get the first-aid kit. He was picking at his sweater when Sans returned and set the box on the coffee table, sitting beside him.

Helvetica winced but didn't move away when Sans dabbed at the cut with a cotton ball. Sans had to admit he pretty brave to keeping a straight face the whole time, despite the few tears that had trickled down his cheeks during the walk through Snowdin. Still, he wouldn't meet Sans' gaze. He seemed... ashamed. 

"... how long has that kid been messing with you?" Sans eventually muttered out, focusing on sliding bordering feathers out of the sticky mess. For whatever reason, he felt the need to preserve the quiet.

"I don't know. A while, I guess." Helvetica whispered, shrugging. He stared at his hands, folded neatly in his lap. 

"a while, and you didn't think to tell us?" Sans scowled slightly, smoothing the feathers near the cut with a thumb. It didn't look too bad, but, with being so close to the eye, it must have hurt.

"It didn't seem important." Helvetica's hands twitched as though he wanted to fidget but thought better of it as Sans picked up the cotton ball again. 

"/this/ didn't seem important?" Sans pressed the cotton ball to the wound, making Helvetica wince again. He dabbed at it more gently, guilt crawling heavily up and down in his spine and curling, rotten as rancid meat, in his gut.

"He hadn't hit me before. It was an accident." Helvetica frowned, left eye shifting away as his right remained tightly shut. 

"an accident." Sans tried to keep the snarl out of his voice.

"He and the other kids were messing with their attacks, and he wasn't looking where he was throwing them, and..."

"sounds like an excuse to me."

Helvetica shrugged, gritting his teeth as Sans carefully applied a bandage.

"what's he been doing to you, buddy?" Sans nudged his chin, forcing him to lift his head and meet his gaze briefly. Helvetica's eyes had never looked so big, never looked so glassy.

"Just saying stuff. Doesn't matter."

"why didn't you tell us?"

"I thought he'd get bored and leave me alone. There wasn't need for you guys to know in the meantime." He looked away again, frill hanging limp around his head. 

"Vet. what did he say to you?"

"Just... stuff." Silence. Tears spilled over and ran down his cheeks and he whimpered, curling in on himself. "Stuff about you and Mom. About how you couldn't really love me since I wasn't really yours. About how you were just a freak skeleton. About how Mom was just some worthless human keeping us all from surface because they hate us. About how..." He buried his face in his wings, sniffling. 

Sans drew him into his lap, running a hand gently up and down his back. He prepared himself to give him an explanation about how the kid was just bluffing in an attempt to look tough when Helvetica hiccuped and sputtered into his wings.

"I-I just don't understand. Why would he be... so mean to you?" He sniffed again, attempting to take a deep breath. "You and Ma are so great, why would he be so mean? Was it me? Did I say something dumb or mean? I just don't understand." 

Sans hugged him closer, Helvetica laying his head on his shoulder as Sans' patted his back soothingly. "sh, buddy. it's okay. you're okay. it ain't you. most monsters... let's just say they have a pretty messed up idea of parenting. kids do some stupid stuff to try and look strong in front of other kids, even if it means someone else has to get hurt. don't worry. we'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

Helvetica sniffled again, nuzzling into the fur of Sans' coat. "... Maybe he just don't know how to be nice." 

Sans sighed, not bothering to try and correct the kid. He was just... too kind. Too forgiving. He could only hope he wouldn't get himself into more trouble.

 

After a while, Helvetica cried himself out and promptly locked himself in his room. In all honesty, Sans wasn't surprised. In a way, he was relieved. It gave him time to himself.

When you got home, you looked both harassed and satisfied with whatever had ended up happening. You pretty much threw your jacket at the coat rack and sluggishly dragged into the living room.

"Okay. What's going to happen is they are going have not one, but three teachers keeping an eye on the kids whenever they have free time from now on. Apparently they had noticed the other kid talking to Vet, but thought he was just making friends, like a bunch of complete idiots... Anyway, he's got two weeks of detention for harming another student." You sighed, running a hand through your hair. Slowly, you lifted your gaze to meet his. "So, how is- oh my god, Sans, what's the matter?" 

You rushed over and sat beside him on the sofa, laying a hand on his cheek. For the first time, he realized he must look like a wreck. He'd been sitting there and building himself up for an anxiety attack for the past hour. He couldn't even imagine what he looked like.

He ran a hand over his face, turning away. "kid's in his room. cut wasn't that bad. fixed up already." 

"That's good and all, but Sans... Just tell me what's wrong. For once." 

His gaze moved sharply to meet yours. You looked exactly how he felt- anxious, tired, concerned and hurt all at once. But why wasn't it projected toward the kid? He didn't deserve your worry. 

"... how could i have been so stupid? was i really that thick? i should have noticed ages ago."

Understanding fell across your face, closely followed by empathy. "To be fair, I didn't, either."

Sans' head fell and he pressed a hand to his forehead. "god fucking damn. i... i really suck at this parenting thing."

You chuckled, pulling his hand away and grasping it tightly in your own. "Well, that makes two of us. We have one thing in common." 

He lifted his eyes to meet your gaze. You looked to be in a pretty sorry state. Your usual outer facade had fallen away to reveal your sad, guilty interior, and in that moment he realized that you really /did/ know exactly he was feeling, that you could relate to him on so many levels.

"... i promise that i'll get better at this. for both of you." He squeezed your hand gently, the jitters in his bones dying down just slightly. 

"I promise I'll get better at this, too. For both of you." You gave a soft smile, returning the squeeze. 

And for a moment, everything fell into place perfectly and he wanted to savor that instant forever. After a minute, you leaned over and brushed a kiss to his temple. When you pulled away, you stood and stretched. 

"Alright. So, first of all, is it... normal for monsters to bleed?"

"kind of. it's some old recessive trait we had no use for. it's been bred out of most of us as a sign of weakness, but a hand full like still carry it."

"Alright, that's a relief. Secondly, how long has he been in there?"

"hour or so."

"Got any idea how to get him out?"

Sans shook his head. You looked thoughtful for a moment. Then, you snapped your fingers.

"Here, I've got an idea." 

You walked into the kitchen and came out with the cookie jar, waving him over as you headed for the doorway to Helvetica's bedroom. You knocked softly on the door a few times, leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey, Vet? You still awake, buddy? I've got some cookies here for you."

Shuffling, then silence. The door remained shut.

"You sure you don't want any?"

More silence.

"Aw, dang. Looks like I'll have to eat all these peanut butter cookies aaall by myself." 

You opened the cookie jar and pulled one out as if you were going to eat it. The door clicked open and a tiny, orange snout poked out just slightly. You smiled softly as the door opened a little wider and Helvetica stepped out to hug your leg. You passed the jar to Sans and scooped up the kid, hugging him to your chest.

He nuzzled into your neck, eyes drooping. "... 'M sorry for getting hurt."

"It's not your fault, buddy." You smoothed his feathers gently, making him hum and press himself closer. "I promise it won't happen again."

"Promise?"

"Not on my watch, anyway." You pressed a kiss to the side of his head, making him giggle and squirm. 

Eventually, you all sat on your bed, passing cookies around like it was just some thing to do. Helvetica eventually fell asleep, careful not to rest on the side of his head with the bandage. You ran the tip of your thumb over it, frowning. 

"At least it didn't hit his eye. That could've been bad."

Sans nodded, feeling more tired than he could remember being in his entire life. You chuckled, laying back and pulling Helvetica with you. Sans was quick to follow. Despite how tired you both were, it took a while for either of you to drift off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear? What's this? Two in one day? 
> 
> Ooooooopsihavenolifeiapologize
> 
> I feel like these last two chapters have been really bad??? Idk maybe they're just not at all what I wanted,, jk they're pretty shit lol
> 
> Still accepting prompts or ideas!


	32. A/N

It feels like it's been forever since I've written anything for this... I'm sorry. My depression made a sudden resurgence and then I got wrapped up in school shenanigans. Not really much of an excuse, but, hey, that's life. 

Good news is that I'm working on the next chapter! And by working on I mean I've written like... Two paragraphs for it. Hey, it's something, right? I'm trying,, //sweats nervously please don't be mad

The main thing I actually wanted to post this for was this: I am going to compile a list of all the things everyone wants to see but hasn't yet and put them all in one place so I can keep tabs on what I have and haven't done. What I want to ask of you is if you would kindly put anything and everything you'd like to see in the future in the comments! That would help an awful lot. :) Nothing is unacceptable, though it may or may not end up happening (cough I don't write smut cough)! Go nuts. :)

Have a lovely day and stay wonderful!! Love all of y'all. <3


	33. 'Flu'

The weekend passed. Sans was just tugging on his jacket to go and meet up with you to drop Vet off for school when his phone rang. He sighed, glancing down at it, only for his eyebrows to raise in surprise. It was your name blinking on the screen.

"hello?"

Helvetica's voice came loudly through the speakers, slurred with what could only be described as hysteria. Sans just made out the words 'mom,' 'bad,' and 'don't know.' Sans cringed, pulling the phone away briefly. He was just about to ask the kid to calm down and slow down a bit when your voice came in through the flood of words. 

"Vet, honey, hand mom the phone." There was a shuffling, then your voice came back, clearer this time. "Hey, Sans. Sorry about that. I need you to take Vet to school without me." 

Sans frowned. Your voice sounded... different. Hoarse. Rough around the edges. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. "sure. everything alright?"

There was a muffled noise. "Yeah. Just feeling under the weather is all." This time your voice lilted a little, dipping and coming back in the middle of the sentence. Sans' frown deepened and he resolved to get the bottom of it.

He met Helvetica outside your house. He was squirming and fidgeting, feathers constantly in movement, a sure sign of stress or anxiety. He ran to Sans as soon as he was in sight, tugging on his jacket urgently. Sans lowered a hand, letting the kid scramble and climb up his arm. A small part of him twinned with some form of sadness; at some point, Helvetica would be too big to do that. 

He shoved the thought aside as Helvetica clung to Sans' skull, tiny claws scraping against his crown in a way that almost made him ask the kid to let go. His muzzle was close enough to his temple for the short peach fuzz to tickle.

"alright, kid. what's up?"

Helvetica fidgeted, turning to look over his shoulder as your house disappeared around a corner. "Mom's acting funny. Funny bad, not funny funny. They said its some humans thing and I shouldn't worry, but... It scared me."

Sans hummed under his breath, thinking. 'Human thing.' He wracked his mind for something that would add up, but nothing came to mind. "tell you what. soon as you get dropped off, i'll go and make sure your ma is all right. 'kay?"

Helvetica shifted, pressing his nose against Sans' temple. "Promise?"

"... yeah. promise."

"Okay." Helvetica nuzzled Sans gently, then slid off his shoulder as the schoolyard came into sight. "Thanks, Dad."

"no problem, kiddo. you sure you want to go to school today?"

Helvetica nodded, looking oddly determined. "Yeah."

"alright. anything happens, you come find me. no shame in learning when something is getting out of hand." He ruffled the kid's feathers, making him giggle for the first time that morning before he raced up the school's steps and disappeared inside the building.

Sans lingered a moment outside, mean-mugging any brat that met his gaze. Then, with a huff, he turned and, once out of sight, disappeared into a shortcut.

 

When Sans pushed open your door, he was just in time to see your body heave as you leaned over a trash can and, a second later, something sickly green trickled out of your panting mouth. He cringed, at the sight and smell, but mostly at your state.

Your skin was shining with a thin sheen of sweat, grossly pale compared to its usual healthy glow. Your hair was in straggles that hung around your face, your clothes rumpled and sticking to your sides. Your eyes were rimmed red and puffy, glossy under heavy eyelids. You took several deep, shuddering breaths, seemingly not noticing Sans hovering the doorway.

You jolted out of your daze when he rushed to your side, putting a hand against your back only to cringe back at how chilled it was, cursing under his breath. You looked up heavily, head lolling. "Sans. What are you doing here?" You speech was slurred and hoarse, as though you had gargled rocks with a strong shot of whisky. You squinted at him as though trying to focus.

"what the hell is wrong? are you dying?" Panic flashed red hot, icy cold inside him as the words tumbled out of his mouth. What if you were dying? What would happen? What would happen to Vet? How would he respond to losing his mother figure? Would Sans be a good enough father to make up for your absence? How would he get on without you? You were all he looked forward to, the reason he got out of bed in the morning!

"No." A sort of half-relief washed over him as the word was coughed out of your lips; half relief because, would someone who was dying really know? "I'm just... sick. That all."

"... sick?" He knew humans could get ill like monsters could, but he was also incredibly aware of how different the two things were. His hand still hovered above you, unsure what to do. 

"Yeah. Flu 's all. Don't worry 'bout it. Should be gone soon." You crawled back to the sofa, dragging the trashcan behind you as you fell heavily onto the cushions. Sans followed closely, hands fidgeting every time it looked like you might fall. 

"what's a flu?"

You sighed, wiping a hand across your face. "Um. Kind of bad illness? Just kind of... irritating and painful. Can't really kill me." Sans let out a sigh of relief. "Give me some time and it should go away and it'll be like... like nothing ever happened."

Sans fidgeted beside you, wanting desperately to perhaps speed up the process so you could be okay, like, now. "... how did you get... this?"

You shrugged, sinking deeper into the pillows. "Don't know. Stress, maybe. Heard it makes the immune system all out of whack." You laid still a moment, then cracked an eye open to look at him. "Can you do me a favor?"

He nodded perhaps too quickly.

"Could you get me a glass of water? I was trying to when you came in, but..." You cringed, face still a sickly hue greener than it normally was. You seemed surprised when Sans came back half an instant later, a cool glass of water being pushed carefully into your hands. "Thanks."

Sans tapped his fingers nervously against the sofa cushions as you took a slow, careful gulp of the water, expression relaxing slightly. "... how do you feel?" Perhaps there was some monster medicine that might help, though most of that was mainly magic-relative...

"Kinda like I got run over with an eighteen wheeler." When you met his thoroughly confused expression, you chuckled. "Let me... rephrase that. Mostly my head and throat ache, but my legs feel like... jelly. Plus I kind of have been vomiting a lot, so I can't really eat anything..." You broke off to cough, cringe at some taste left over in your mouth before taking a sip of the water. 

Sans' head spun with different sorts of monster medication, but none seemed fit to give to an ailing human. "is there anything i can get you?"

"Unless Alphys somehow has some sort of non-magic cure-all, no. Not until my stomach calms down, anyway." 

Sans couldn't quite suppress his groan of frustration. You chuckled under your breathe, giving his hand a quick pat. 

"Don't fret, bonehead. It should be gone in a few days."

"a few days?!"

 

Sans left for five minutes to go and see if he can fix something easy on the stomach and when he came back you were gone. The empty sofa sent a trill of fear through him, but he tried his best to crush it down. Perhaps you simply had gone to the bathroom? But if that was the case, you should have called him. He had made you agree to not go anywhere unless he was there to help you. 

"sweetheart?"

There was no response. A feeling of panic made sweat slide down his skull until he spotted the slightly ajar door to the painting room. He hastily shoved it open only to find you sitting in the center of the room, completely untouched save for the blanket now draped loosely around your shoulders. You blinked and looked at him in groggy surprise when he knelt beside you, quickly eyeing you over for any signs of your illness worsening.

"Whatsa matter?"

"why did you leave when i wasn't there to help you? gave me a fucking heart attack." He snapped right back, anxiety making him glower at you. Faint color rose to his cheeks when you chuckled, shaking your head.

"Geez, Sans. You're freakin' out too much." 

"i'm freaking out just the right amount. it's you that's too calm about this." He huffed, embarrassed. "you feeling any better?"

You shrugged, looking back at the wall blearily. "No worse. Kinda cold, though." 

He pressed a hand to your cheek, trying hard not to flinch when you leaned into the touch. Your skin was burning! "kinda cold? you feel like you're on fire." 

You hummed, clearly not concerned by this in the slightest which only made Sans even more concerned. "That's just kinda one of the things that comes with the flu. No biggie."

"'no biggie.'" He mocked you under his breath, slipping his arms under you and lifting you clear of the ground. Clearly disoriented by the sudden movement, you gripped at his sweater as if afraid to fall. A moment later you blinked and relaxed slightly, leaning your head against him.

"What an adorable dork skeleton boyfriend I have." You cooed teasingly as he carried you carefully back into the living room. You chuckled when his face turned very much redder and he avoided your gaze as he laid you on the couch. 

"what a weird, squishy human mate i have." He huffed as he draped another blanket over you, pushing your hair out of your face with a smooth movement of his phalanges. You closed your eyes, letting out a long breathe, and for a moment Sans was tempted to smother you in toothy kisses despite your current state.

Then you opened your eyes again, peering at him. "It's about time for you to pick up Vet, isn't it?"

"so it is." He straightened, grabbing his jacket off the arm of the couch.

"Maybe leave him with Papyrus, if he's willing. I told him not to worry, but I guess he learns from his dad in the 'not listening to me' department." You snorted when he gave you an unamused glance. "Hey, how's Papyrus been doing? I feel like it's been a while."

He paused, hand on the doorknob. "since when have you and my brother ever been anything similar to close?"

"Well, I mean, I know he doesn't like me very much," Sans snorted, "but he is my boyfriend's brother, and, by extension, he's gonna end up meaning something to my kid. Our kid." Sans' soul fluttered in his ribcage. "I just, sometimes..."

"what?"

"Sometimes I wonder about your relationship with him. I always got the feeling you cared about him a lot, but maybe felt bitter he didn't seem to appreciate it? I don't know. I just... I just want you to be happy, Sans." 

For a moment, silence hung in the air, thick as molasses. Then he swung the door open.

"don't worry about it. i'm perfectly happy." 

He tried to ignore your scoff as the door closed behind him. 

 

Most of the kids were gone by the time Sans was approaching the schoolyard. At first, he didn't see Helvetica anywhere. Then a flicker of orange, closely followed by a rusty red, caught his attention.

Helvetica ducked and dodged to the left as a magic weapon was swung his way, oddly untouched as the furious looking monster child Sans recognized stormed furiously after him. They ducked and dodged around one another in an odd dance, Helvetica simply moving out of the way in time to miss the barrage of attacks. It looked as though he was refusing to fight back, which only made his opponent all the more angry.

"Just stand there and take it!!" 

Fury roared inside Sans' chest as he took a few quick steps forward, only to stop short in surprise a moment later. 

Panting and gasping, chest heaving, the rust colored monster child had staggered to a stop, glaring fiercely at Helvetica. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the kid collapsed where he stood, kneeling in the snow. Another long pause that felt like the entire world was holding its breathe- Helvetica probably could have demolished the kid if he so desired, and after all he had said and done, Sans knew /he/ would have in a heartbeat.

Helvetica took a slow, careful step toward the offending monster. Then another. Then another. He waited a moment, then sat beside him. For a few long moments, they sat side by side, the rust colored twerp refusing to meet Helvetica's gaze. Then, Helvetica began fishing around in his bag. After a second, he pulled out a peanut butter cookie.

He pulled it in half, then held one half out to the monster that had just been intent on hurting him. For another long eternity, nothing happened. Helvetica waited, still holding out the broken cookie. Then the monster kid snatched the cookie from his hand, snarling under his breath as he bit fiercely into it. Helvetica smiled, nibbling on his own.

For a minute, Sans did nothing. Then he stepped around the corner, hands stuffed into his pockets. Helvetica and the kid looked up at the same time, and the look of momentary panic on the kid's face was enough to make Sans' fake grin become a tad more sincere. Helvetica jumped to his feet, smiling, and raced up to him.

"Dad!" He tugged on his jacket sleeve, eyes bright as he grinned up at him. "How's Mom?"

"ma's fine, kiddo. how's school?"

Helvetica glanced back at the other child, still sitting in the snow. Their eyes must have met briefly because the kid scowled and looked away. After a moment, Helvetica grabbed Sans' hand and turned to face forward again. "School was okay." 

"hm." Sans decided not to say anything, instead turning away from the schoolyard. "you okay with spending the night with Papyrus? mom thinks you should, uh... spend more time together."

Helvetica nodded enthusiastically. "Is Mom gonna get better soon?"

"sure thing, kiddo."

"Promise?" 

Sans faltered slightly, looking down at the kid from the corner of his eye. At the same time, Helvetica looked up to meet his gaze. He wasn't the type to make promises, especially when he wasn't sure he could keep it, but it was kind of hard to say no to someone with such a trusting gaze.

"yeah. promise."

When Sans arrived at Papyrus' post, Helvetica still clinging to his hand, he was only halfway relived to see him there. At least this way he wouldn't have to go on some stupid hunt to find his younger sibling. Still, he didn't like thinking about his relationship with his brother

"hey, Papyrus."

The taller skeleton looked up with a halfhearted scowl which immediately loosened when he spotted the kid at his side. "SANS."

"human wants you to watch over our kid for the night."

The skeleton faked being exasperated, crossing his arms and tossing his head. "WELL, I SUPPOSE THEY WOULD DO NOTHING BUT PESTER ME UNTIL I SAID YES, SO I AM LEFT WITH NO CHOICE BUT TO AGREE."

Helvetica raced up to the post, jumping onto it with ease. "Uncle 'Pyrus! Uncle 'Pyrus!" He raised his hands to the tall skeleton and Papyrus responded by lifting the small monster into the air, dwarfed by his hands in their crimson gloves. He spun the feathered orange kid in a fast circle, beaming.

"DID YOU HEAR THAT, SANS?! IVE BEEN UPGRADED TO UNCLE STATUS!" He quickly regained his composure, laying the kid across his shoulders as he puffed out his nonexistent chest. "BUT OF COURSE. THE TERRIBLE PAPYRUS WOULD ACCEPT NOTHING LESS."

Sans lingered a moment, watching Helvetica ask his younger sibling to tell him a story which the skeleton responded to with great enthusiasm. Then, he turned on his heel and disappeared around a corner with a last wave to his kid.

 

You were still on the sofa, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, when Sans came back. You hummed a greeting when he sat near your feet.

"Vet with Papyrus?"

"yeah."

"Okay at school?"

"yeah. actually, i wanted to talk to you about that.

He relayed what he'd seen in schoolyard. You hummed thoughtfully. "So long as he doesn't get hurt, I think he'll be okay. He's smart enough to know when to bail. Besides, well, you know what they say. Kill 'em with kindness."

Sans grunted in response, not sure what to think of the kid's rather... kind and pacifistic behavior. The town already knew the kid was rather soft, but as long as Sans and Papyrus were there to stand guard over him, he knew no one had the guts to try anything. Still, some part of him had expected to see him pick his first fight with the monster that was bad-mouthing his mom.

 

Apparently, you had been telling the truth when you had said it would only last a few days. Within two days, your fever had broken and you were up and walking around like nothing had ever happened. The only lingering sign of illness was a hoarse voice and faint coughs when you spoke or laughed for too long. If Sans thought he was relieved, it was nothing compared to Helvetica.

"i'm still not sure you should be moving around so soon."

"Oh my god, Sans, that is the fifth time you've said that. Calm down. I've told you, I'm fine." 

"yeah, sure, whatever you say."

"I'm not made of glass. I'm just a skeleton with some extra padding. Not that different from you."

"hardly."

"Don't get smart with me, snarly."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JDICJNVUCJEMD I hate this
> 
> This is me trying to catch my stride again,,, and I apologize that it is so bad
> 
> Have any ideas or prompts? Leave them in the comments!


	34. New Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _  
> I am just a new soul  
>  In this very strange world,  
> Trying to learn a bit about  
> How to give and take  
>  ___

Sans is... something.

Not something good, not something bad, not something nice, but something. It's hard to say what. He doesn't seem to fit in a box. A tad possessive, yes. A tad angry, too. Perhaps a tad bitter. A tad sarcastic, as well. A tad snarly, tad sweaty, tad aggressive, but a tad kind, as well. Tad loving. Tad caring. Tad concerning. Tad worrying. Tad depressed. And perhaps more than a tad anxious.

Despite, or maybe because of, these things, you found he caused something you'd never felt you'd experience in a place like this to flutter and beat warmly against your insides: Safety. A sense of home. A sense of being... loved, maybe. 

There were times you remembered the cold, cruel skeleton of old, and it was at times like that you subconsciously crossed your legs and hid the scar he had inflicted further out of sit. Some small part of you knew you shouldn't feel so safe with him, shouldn't feel word-you-don't-want-to-say-yet towards your previous attacker.

Still, that all felt like an eternity ago. Another lifetime. People changed, if too often. Monsters changed, if slowly. 

Walking hand in skeletal hand through Snowdin towards the school you now knew fairly well felt oddly natural. Routine, maybe. Weeks had passed since Vet's bullying experience, and it seemed it had been solved rather peacefully. It seemed he had even made a friend out of the ordeal. Sans was quiet at your side, face half-hidden by the fluffy rim of his coat, though he bumped you when you knocked your shoulder lightly against him. You walked on in companionable silence. 

When the schoolyard came into sight, at first it wasn't clear that something was up. A large cluster of kids were tousling off to one side, as usual. It looked like Helvetica and MK were building something in the snow a little farther away, a taller, rust colored kid standing guard beside them and snorting out tiny clouds of steam at anyone that dared step too close. All seemed at peace.

Then, as you drew closer, something became apparent: Something was amiss. The groups of wrestling kids were doing it with some kind of purpose, as if trying to prove something. The rusty monster child seemed bothered, glowering at the fighting monster children tensely, as though attempting to ward them off. MK seemed almost nervous, pushing small walls of snow around listlessly and glancing up quite a lot. Helvetica, on the other hand, didn't seem to have a care in the world. 

Your steps slowed slightly as you quickly observed the courtyard for the source of agitation. Sans pulled you up abruptly at the gate as though his feet had suddenly turned to stone. You glanced at him questioningly, then followed his gaze.

Some enormous monster was standing near the front doors beside a few teachers, so still and stone faced you had nearly overlooked him. He was at least twice your height and three times as wide, though the shoulder spikes surely didn't help. Ivory horns curled elegantly above his head, standing out sharply against his black, faintly grayed hair and beard. In a way, he reminded you of Toriel, with a soft, goat-like face. Something about his piercing gaze made you feel as those you should remember who he was. In fact, he seemed incredibly familiar, as though he had been described to you before. His name, whatever it might have been, escaped you.

"Who is that?" You hissed out of the corner of your mouth to Sans, who was still as stone beside you. When he didn't respond, you glanced at him. 

His expression was impossible to read, but he seemed very tense for someone with no muscle. His hand was tight around yours, and when the large monster slowly swept a glance across the yard to drag it over Helvetica and his friends, then over you, he gave your arm a small tug to pull you closer to his side. It was almost as if he was attempting to warn the monster off- if he tried something, Sans would put up a fight. Something invisible smoldered in his empty eye sockets. 

The teachers apparently sucking up to the monster fell very quiet when they realized he was watching you linger at the entrance. For a moment, nothing happened. 

Helvetica, looking up for the first time, spotted you and Sans and brightened, racing up to you. He jumped into your arm when you extended your free hand to him, putting his hands against your chest to be level with your face.

"Mom! Mom! Someone important came to school today!"

"Yeah?"

"His name is Mister Dreemurr! He told us about the importance of being a strong nation and not arguing within our midst and then he told us some stories about kingdoms that fell! It was neat! He's tall! Even taller than Uncle 'Pyrus! And he had everyone go outside to watch us practice our magic, and he came over to watch me and MK and Terus practice ours, and it was fun!" He babbled happily, digging around in his bag and showing you something he had evidently doodled in one of his classes- from the brief glance you gave it, it looked like some messy sketch of Sans or Papyrus.

"Sounds neat, kiddo." You gave him a light, affectionate jostle, since Sans was still preoccupying your free hand, but didn't take your eyes off 'Mister Dreemurr'- that's why he was familiar. That was the literal king of monsters, standing not a dozen yards away. 

He could kill you, right here, right now, if he so desired. Fear settled in your chest, icy cold, wrapping its claws around your heart, but you fought to keep a straight face. His gaze bore into yours, and you felt you would spontaneously combust from its intensity. 

He turned and began to walk towards you, taking easy, enormous strides. Helvetica turned to look at him over his shoulder, and waved a tiny hand at him. He either didn't notice or didn't care. A second later, he was standing only a foot away, and, lord, was he intimidating. 

He stared at you for a moment, then blinked and moved silently around you and soon after out of sight. 

You let out a breath you hadn't known you were holding and Sans' grip on your hand loosened and relaxed. Helvetica, clearly oblivious to what could have happened, glanced at you confusedly. 

"Mom? You 'kay?" 

You let out a breathless chuckle, touching the top of his head with your nose. "Just fine, buddy. Come on. Let's get you home."

 

"SMALL CHILD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DO NOT WRITE ON THE FLOOR, YOU SMALL CHILD. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT YOU LEARNED THAT FROM LAST TIME."

A rather tall, disfigured mass of black dripped as it leaned over the top of a much smaller Helvetica, little drops of darkness fading away as they touched the nonexistent floor. Helvetica wagged his tail at his voice, glancing up at him with bright but questioning eyes.

"OH, GOOD, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE PAPER THIS TIME. WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING? YOU COULD HAVE LEFT FIFTEEN MINUTES AGO."

Helvetica tilted his head at him, looking confused. The cracked, oozing face shifted into a look of exasperation as it rubbed where the bridge of its nose would be.

"RIGHT. OF COURSE. I FORGET THAT YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND ME. WHAT THEY MUST BE TEACHING THE YOUTH OF TODAY..." 

He sighed as the child laughed, sitting up and patting his cheeks in response. The black figure shook his head, rolling his eyes, as he shifted to stand beside the child rather than above him. Helvetica beamed up at him, clearly in a good mood compared to the figure's sour one.

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"

Helvetica's expression suddenly changed, as though he remembered something, and he dug around in his bag a moment. The black figure leaned closer, curiously trying to catch a glimpse of whatever he was searching for. A second later, Helvetica held up a paper triumphantly.

"Mr. G! Look, look!'

"WHAT HAVE YOU GOT THERE?" 

Helvetica smiled, holding out the slightly crinkled paper to the taller monster. The monster hesitated a moment, then took it in one mutilated, disembodied hand and lifted it to get a closer look. He blinked, then peered at it closer. There was no mistaking it, that had to be-

"I drew you, Mr. G!"

Helvetica clapped merrily, tail swishing behind him as he awaited the tall, dark monster's response. The dripping monster stared at the drawing for several quiet moments, then lifted another disembodied hand to rub at his face. 

"IT- IT LOOKS HARDLY AT ALL LIKE ME." A short pause. He lowered a hand to pat the smaller monster's large frill of feathers. "THANK YOU." 

Helvetica giggle under the touch, covering his muzzle with his hands in happy embarrassment. The taller monster regarded him with amusement for a moment, then snapped his fingers. Between them now was a simple thumbtack. 

"HERE. HOW ABOUT THIS." 

He turned to an open space in the air and held the drawing up against the nothingness and tacked it there. It hovered there as though pinned to an invisible wall. Helvetica stared at it with amazement for a minute, then danced around the oozing monster's melting 'feet.' The monster chuckled- an odd, shuddering sound that sounded like a handful of plastic being rattled together, softly muffled- and bent, patting him again before giving him a light push toward a recently apparated door.

"OFF WITH YOU, CHILD. ONE MUST NOT LINGER TOO LONG IN PLACES LIKE THIS." 

Helvetica, clearly getting the idea, hugged his hand before scooping up his bag and racing up to the door and opening it.

"Bye-bye, Mr. G! See you later!"

"GOODBYE, CHILD."

With one last wave, the child slid out the door and shut it behind him. It slid out of existence a moment later, leaving the creature who no longer existed there alone with a single drawing as his lone company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think UF!Gaster is just a grumpy old man tbh
> 
> Someone wanted to see Asgore and someone else wanted to see Vet and Gaster doing shit so here you go,,, it's rushed and I wish it was better but this is what you get haaaa 
> 
> ,,,  
> i'm so tired  
> ,,,
> 
> Still taking prompts!! I want to make the next chapter mostly Sans and Reader relationship centric so


	35. Relationships

That first night was... euphoric. Like some kind of high. It sends jitters through Sans' bones just thinking about it, a stupid grin to his face.

It had taken him a long time to fall asleep, lying there beside you, a thin blanket drawn up to your waist. Your hair made a faint, silvery halo around your head, the smooth skin of your shoulder shining pearly in the light filtering in from outside. Part of him could almost imagine that was how you looked in moonlight. Your wrinkled tank top rose and folded in on itself as you breathed. The smooth, gentle curve of your waist was just visible and, after hesitating, Sans reached out and laid a hand upon it, then gently ran it up and down. It was... soft. Tender. The ideal place to attack. And you had trusted him with it. He couldn't stop grinning.

When you woke in the morning, he'd already been up for several minutes but had decided not to get up or disturb you. Your eyelashes flickered, then you made a slight face. A moment later, your arms stretched and flexed as you pushed yourself halfway upright, the blanket now pooling at your side. You swung your legs out of the bed, stretching your arms behind your head and rolling your shoulders as you made a slight noise of relief. 

Honestly, you were beautiful. Sans was grinning again. 

You turned your head halfway to glance over your shoulder at him. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he'd been staring at you rather creepily, lifting himself up beside you.

"Morning, bone head." Your voice was still drowsy, hardly above a murmur as you dropped your arms heavily into your lap. 

He could get used to hearing that nickname in the early morning. "morning, sweetheart."

You narrowed your eyes at him, swinging your feet lightly. "What's with the look?"

He shook his head in response, not sure he could put it into words. You rolled your eyes, but stood with one last drawn out stretch. Your shorts hung loose on your hips as you shuffled through the clothes in your dresser, humming to yourself. You gave him a glance over your shoulder as you picked out an old, stained shirt- one of the ones you called a 'painting shirt.'

"Can you go see if Helvetica's up or not? The last time he woke before me, there were books everywhere."

Sans nodded, standing and grabbing his coat off the end of the bed. "sure thing." 

He had Helvetica dressed and eating a peanut butter sandwich by the time you came out of your room, hair in damp curls from an apparent recent shower. You gave Helvetica a quick peck on the forehead, then moved to make sure all of his homework had found its way inside his bag. You slipped a coat on and hastily put some shoes on while Helvetica danced around, bag jingling musically at his side. 

Helvetica snatched up your hand as soon as he could, beaming at you. Sans was quick to take your other, grinning near similarly. The walk was quiet but companionable and warm.

You waved Helvetica off at the gate, watching as he raced up to the school's steps to meet his friends. You let out a fond sigh, a small smile on your face as they disappeared into the building. "That kid sure is... something. I don't think just anyone could make a friend out of the kid that tried so hard to make them go away." 

Sans was only half listening. He liked that smile. He could stare at it for days. He was still basking in the glow of the night before, feeling so nice and complete and whole. When you glanced at him, he didn't care enough to wipe the dumb grin off his face.

For a while, you walked back toward your home in silence. Eventually, you huffed, cheeks tinted faintly pinker.

"Stop looking at me like that." 

"nah."

"For Pete's sake, Sans. Is this honestly because of last night?"

"i tend to forget how well you read me."

"Anyone could read you right now! All I did was let you sleep in my bed!"

He sighed dreamily. "yeah."

You shook your head, though he noticed the faint slip of a smile attempting to work its way across your face.

 

Your first true argument was... petty. The reason it happened in the first place was lost to him. Mostly what he ended up remembering was that it escalated into something loud and he was glad Helvetica hadn't been anywhere near at the time. 

"You're being ridiculous!"

"you're the one dodging the question!"

"Because it's a question I shouldn't have to answer, you idiot! That's the thing I don't like about you! You have to force things out of people, even if you already know the truth! You just love to see people squirm, don't you?"

"don't act like you don't have flaws."

"When did I ever say that?"

"you're implying it!"

"How?!"

So the argument went, on and on for what felt like an eternity. Back and forth, back and forth. Petty and entirely stupid. Still, it was like a great release of built up frustrations, in a way. You had both been avoiding arguing, even when you tended to piss each other off, for a while. To finally give in... was something entirely different.

Finally, Sans backed up you more or less into a corner. If you had really wanted to, you could have easily dodged out of the way. From the defiance burning in your gaze to the way you had set your shoulders, however, it appeared you would not back down for it would wound your pride.

You were both rather proud.

He jabbed a finger in your direction, squaring you in clumsily with his arms against the wall behind you. "say it!"

"Say what?!" There was a sneer on your lips.

"say you love me!" He snarled right back. 

"I can't." You said it almost grudging way. In an almost 'ha ha, jokes on you' way.

"and why not?!" He could feel fury, scorching as roaring fire, burning in his soul, but there was something else there, too. Something cold and hollow.

"Because even if I meant it, it wouldn't hold any meaning with you forcing it out of me like this!" 

And just like, the flame was extinguished. He blinked and all at once realized where he was and what he was doing and, boy, did he feel foolish. He dropped his arms and backed away, sitting heavily on the floor a few feet away. He let his head sag, avoiding your gaze as he contemplated what just happened. After a moment, you slid to the floor and folded your legs underneath you comfortably. 

Silence.

"I do, you know." He glanced up. You had your arms crossed, studying him through a rather stern look. It sounded as though you had begrudgingly decided to speak. "Just cause I don't say it doesn't mean I don't. Just not comfortable with it yet. If you can't respect that, then maybe this won't work out."

His nonexistent throat went dry. "i'm sorry."

"I'm not, but I will be eventually." You laughed slightly under your breath, shaking your head before forcing yourself to your feet. "I'm gonna go for a walk. Feel free to do whatever. I think we both need a breather."

He nodded. You went out the door. When you came back, you sat on the couch and talked everything out together, eventually coming to compromises or explanations both of you were at least some variant of okay with. 

It wasn't your last argument, for sure. That didn't mean you weren't still happy together, more often than not.

 

Your first double-date wasn't... really a double-date. Though it did go hand in hand with your first public display of affection.

Alphys and Undyne had managed to get together, by some miracle, and, once comfortable with the new development, decided to announce it via movie night. You and Sans, by contrast, while not having kept it secret, hadn't really been comfortable with being very obvious about it beyond holding hands or things similar in public. 

Alphys and Undyne could hardly detach themselves from one another long enough to get a drink. Mostly they were just holding hands or cuddling or giving one another affectionate nuzzles, but it was enough to make Sans want to gag. It was also odd to see them like that, considering Undyne was... well, Undyne, and Alphys was the easily annoyed nervous wreck of the group. 

But then, they'd always found comfort in one another, as strange as it was. Maybe they shared a common grief. Maybe being together brought out the best in the other. 

Papyrus and Helvetica were picking out movies as you and Sans loitered in the kitchen, popping several bags of popcorn.

"WE COULD ALWAYS WATCH THIS ONE. IT IS A CLASSIC."

"No!"

"WHAT?! WHY NOT?!"

"Is boring! Euck!" Helvetica blew a raspberry. Someone else snorted. Sans could just imagine how offended Papyrus would look; he was far too protective of things he deemed worthy of his interest.

"IT IS FAR FROM BORING!"

"Is too!"

"IS NOT!"

"Is too!"

"YOU ONLY SAY THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE SANS' HORRIBLE TASTE IN BOOKS."

"You only like it 'cause it's got Mettataton in it!"

"YOU SAID HIS NAME WRONG!"

Another raspberry. You chuckled, pulling the now puffed out bag out of the microwave and tearing it gently open. "Honestly, they're both precious, if Papyrus is... 'slightly' less so. Okay, Vet is precious. Papyrus is... something else."

"picky, maybe?"

"Not what I was looking for, but it works."

"Hey, dorks! Where's that popcorn!? My girlfriend's hungry!" 

You chuckled again, picking up one bowl and placing another gently on top of it. "Way to make us feel not at all like servants, huh?" 

Sans snorted in return, picking up another and trailing after you into the living room. Helvetica glanced up from where he was sitting in front of Papyrus in front of the bookshelf and brightened, jumping to his feet and bouncing up to you, hands outstretched. You smiled, taking the smaller bowl and passing it down to him. He instantly took a mouthful of the popcorn, crunching it happily as he trotted back to Papyrus. You shook your head fondly, then passed the other bowl to Undyne's awaiting hands. She held out another hand to Sans, as if expecting to get the other bowl, as well. You shook your head, putting an arm in front of Sans.

"Sorry, jaws, this one's for us. Either deal with only having one bowl to share out of or go make another yourself. My skeleton and I aren't planning on sharing." 

Sans blinked, staring at you a moment. 'Your skeleton.' He was yours. He tried to stifle the grin threatening to work its way across his face, but it was hard, especially when you flung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him flush against you. He buried himself in the fluff of his coat, though he noticed Undyne make a disgusted face before turning back to Alphys with a huff.

You sat on the floor, stretching your arms above you. "Hey, Sans. Do me a favor and get me a soda out of the fridge? Also, probably make another bag of popcorn for spare. God knows we're going to need it."

He was humming in the kitchen for a few minutes, glad to have a moment away from Alphys' glinting eyes. He loitered for a few moments before actually going through the process of getting what he was in there for. He was just pulling the bag of now popped popcorn out of the microwave when suddenly Helvetica let out a loud squeal, closely followed a thump. Panicking, Sans was quick to appear in the doorway.

Helvetica was staring at you, looking utterly horrified, while you lay on your stomach, head hidden in your arms. For a moment, Sans was equally scared until you lifted your head, laughing hysterically. Helvetica crawled over to you as you pushed yourself up, and you scooped him up as soon as he was within grabbing distance, burying your face in his stomach. He wiggled and squirmed, laughing in response. 

Sans, now thoroughly confused, stood stupidly in the doorway for a few moments. When you had stopped laughing enough to speak, you took a few deep breaths before nuzzling Helvetica again.

"I was practicing some yoga in preparation for sleeping on the couch and my back cracked. I guess it startled you, huh, bud?" You giggled again, nuzzling a now embarrassed Helvetica. "Momma's okay, kiddo. Sorry I spooked you." 

Sans ran a hand across his face, relief, exasperation, and amusement each taking their turn as he shuffled back into the kitchen. 

The movies Papyrus and Helvetica eventually settled on... weren't very interesting, in Sans' opinion. He would have been tempted to just wait it out up in his room, but your feet were in his lap and Helvetica, strewn mostly across Papyrus' lap, had rested his head on Sans' knee, and honestly he didn't want to risk your comfort. 

It seemed to take forever for Undyne and Alphys to fall asleep, and even longer for Papyrus. At some point, you shifted to lean against his shoulder, and Helvetica wrapped an arm around his leg as he dozed off. 

Falling asleep amidst that tangle of limbs felt oddly like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am v tired, as I always seem to be recently, but I hope you enjoy these shorts???? I am,, getting steadily worse at this,,, But, look!! Domestic things!! 
> 
> If you have any prompts, feel free to drop them in the comments!! We're about to enter a stretch where I can't use them anymore, so send them in now! :)


	36. Your Song

Years went by. 

Helvetica, much more slowly than the first years of his life, grew gradually but steadily, though much too quickly for Sans' liking. He remembered the first Christmas Vet had spent actually being aware of the holiday; it was one of the few holidays still pertaining to it's human counterpart, and Vet had been ecstatic about getting presents for everyone. He had gotten Sans a snow cap with a small puff ball on top. Sans could still remember the burning in his cheeks when you had giggled over how 'cute' he looked in it.

He also remembered how, at some point during their young high school years, Helvetica and MK had tried something along the lines of a relationship. Neither you nor he knew about it until afterwards, as they'd planned on keeping it on the down low just in case it didn't work out. It didn't. After two weeks or so, they both acknowledged it wasn't working out and that their feelings were nothing more than platonic. It didn't affect their friendship in the slightest; in fact, they seemed to understand one another better for what it was worth. 

He had grown. Not only in understanding of the world and personality, but physically, as well. He had turned out to be rather tall, and seemed to delight in it. He was taller than Sans and yourself, but not quite so as Papyrus. 

Still, he was tall enough to comfortably rest his chin on top of Sans' head and often did so when he came up behind him to see what he was doing. Or he would wrap his neck around and under Sans' neck, nuzzling his chin from behind. Of course, he was guilty of doing the same to you just as often, but that didn't make Sans any less envious of his height. 

His frill of feathers hadn't gone away with age. If anything, it was larger. You liked to joke that at this rate, by the time he was a full grown adult, he would have a mane rather than just a crest. He delighted in the thought, sometimes acting flattered whenever the words left your mouth. 

He had been given a human instrument- a guitar, you called it- by Alphys, who had apparently found it at the dump and thought he might like it, and was slowly teaching himself to play. Sans often found him plucking at the strings in his free time, humming to himself as he attempted to replicate some song he'd heard from somewhere before. 

His overall personality hadn't changed. He was still bubbly and enthusiastic, gullible and naive, forgiving and optimistic. He hadn't changed in many ways at all, really. The world around him had, however, as a result of his kindness. 

Oddly enough, it filled Sans with HOPE.

 

You hummed to yourself as you straightened your shirt out, patting at your hair as you paused beside a mirror. You looked like a mess, but honestly, when didn't you, at this point. Alphys was hosting a party of some kind for her and Undyne, and you and Sans and Vet had all been invited. Papyrus had apparently gone ahead of time to 'make sure everything turned out as grand as it should be!' 

"you look fine." Sans' voice rose from behind you and a second later you were tugged backwards into his wide ribcage. You rolled your eyes, twisting around to push him away just enough. 

"Gee, thanks. How flattering. 'Fine.' The epitome of compliments." You snorted as he chuckled, pressing his teeth gently to your cheek, the cold metal of his golden canine not even making you flinch.

"I think you look nice!" Helvetica stepped around the corner, smiling at you as his scarf hung loosely around his neck. He chuckled playfully, smiling broader as he observed you tangled in Sans' arms. 

"nah. i'm pretty sure they look like a dork." Sans 'corrected' him, not meeting your gaze as he grinned broader.

"Aw, Dad!" 

"Oh yeah? Did I ever tell you about the time I found Dad wearing his old reading glasses?" Your eyes snapped of challenge when Sans narrowed his eyes at you. 

"don't you dare."

"Dad has to wear glasses?"

"i told you to delete that picture." 

You spun out of Sans grip, coming to a stop beside your son as you pulled out your phone. You grinned devilishly at Sans as you scrolled through your photos for a moment. 

"See, there! Isn't your dad just the cutest little dork face?"

Helvetica snickered. "I think they look good on him!" 

"i'm leaving."

"Aw, come on, Sansy-poo! Don't forget your hipster glasses!" 

"Mom! Be nice!"

"I am!"

You caught up to Sans at the entrance to Waterfall, looping your arm through his as Helvetica took stride at your elbow. You were still snickering under your breath, but you brush a quick kiss to Sans' cheekbone as you walk along, chattering meaninglessly back and forth as you wound your way through Waterfall's twisting pathways. Whenever you came across creeks too wide to step across, Helvetica would smile mischievously.

"kid. don't." Sans attempted to side step him as Helvetica's feathery arms reached for him, soon getting caught between the soft limbs. His face flushed and he attempted to hide in the fluff of his hood as Helvetica lifted him off the ground. 

"Cmon, Dad. Don't want you getting your feet wet, do we?" Helvetica snickered, tiptoeing carefully through the water to deposit him on the other side before coming back for you. You simply rolled your eyes as he lifted you from around the waist to meet a similar fate as Sans. 

"you'll never let us forget that you're taller than us, will you?" Sans muttered, looking embarrassed. The look only grew worse when Helvetica placed his chin on top of his head. 

"Nope!" Helvetica grinned as you took a moment to straighten his scarf once more. For as much as he valued it, he often let it get askew around his neck. 

When you arrived at Alphys' lab, it was clear the party was just starting. Helvetica, ever excited to see his friends, bounded ahead as you and Sans brought up the rear. When you glanced at Sans, you realized he didn't look embarrassed anymore. No, he looked... Almost upset. 

"What's going on, bone boy?"

"nothin'. just thinkin'."

"About?"

"the kid. sure did grow up fast."

You chuckled, pressing your cheek against his for a moment. "You're telling me. Don't worry; I don't think he's planning on leaving us any time soon. Is it a thing for monster kids to leave their parents when they're, you know, young-ish? Normally human kids stick around till they've got their feet on the ground, which can take any number more years."

"sometimes they leave as soon as they can."

"Well, Vet does not show any signs of scooting out on us yet. I know it's hard to believe, but for all appearances, I think he's still a kid at heart. Might always be."

"... is it bad to say i hope it stays that way?"

"Nope. I do, too."

You flashed him a reassuring grin as you caught up to Helvetica at the door, soon stepping into the warm, monster-filled room. It seemed Mettaton had shown up with his cousin; the two were making amends after some old feud, so it was nice to see the two taking a step in the right direction. Alphys, in her old spiral-dress, was hand in hand with Undyne, both looking fairly happy but nervous at the same time. MK and Terus, both standing beside the snack table, waved and Helvetica quickly bounded over, greeting them with a friendly grin. Papyrus was in his 'casual' attire, examining the cleaned-up lab. 

"Hey, Papyrus. Looks like you did a good job on the place!" 

"THANK YOU, HUMAN. IT IS NICE TO SEE YOU HERE." He nodded, still looking distracted. 

"Same to you." You elbowed Sans. 

"er, yeah, place looks, uh, pretty nice." Sans coughed, looking at everything but his brother. He and Papyrus had been... trying to make amends over the past years, but it was a slow, awkward, grueling process. Neither were sure how to go about it, but, years after they had first started trying, things were looking... okay.

"... THANK YOU, BROTHER." Papyrus glanced at the shorter skeleton briefly, looking faintly more proud of himself. He stepped forward to nudge one of the pillows on the couch just as Alphys approached, looking very sweaty but smiling nonetheless.

"H-hey, guys. Nice to see you here."

"Nice to be here. The places looks pretty nice, Alphys! You really know how to throw a... small party." You chuckled under your breath, giving her what you hoped was a reassuring smile. She returned it, slightly more confidently this time. 

Maybe it was Vet rubbing off on you, but you had found yourself attempting to be more encouraging to all these monsters as the years had worn on you. Maybe he was rubbing off on them, but as time had gone on, they seemed much... happier. Kinder, even. It was a change you found yourself enjoying.

Undyne came trailing up behind Alphys, teeth gleaming in the light. "Sup, nerds! Good to see ya! You seein' this killer party my girlfriend put together?" She grinned even broader as Alphys hid behind her hands.

"You guys even have those peanut butter cookies with the chocolate!" Helvetica came skittering up, nearly loosing his footing on the slick floor. He looked absolutely ecstatic, a huge handful of cookies with a square of chocolate pushed into the center clutched in his arms. Undyne barked out a laugh.

"Eesh, kid, don't eat all of them! We have a whole party of monsters here to feed! Well, monsters and one... honorary one." She grinned wolfishly at you, and you were 99% sure she would be winking if she had more than one eye to use. 

You lightly hit Helvetica's wing as the fish-lizard couple trailed away, talking amongst themselves. He laughed through a mouthful of cookie, attempting to dodge another hit without dropping any cookies.

"Mercy, Mom, mercy!"

"At least give me a cookie for my troubles."

"What troubles?"

"Don't question your mother, young man!"

Helvetica laughed, passing you a cookie before handing one to Sans as well. With that, he disappeared back into the small crowd again. After a few moments, you nudged Sans as you turned to walk away.

"Go socialize. Glaring at people won't make things any more fun for anyone." You laughed when he huffed and glared half heartedly at you as you headed for Mettaton and his cousin. "Hey, Mett! Hey, Napstablook. Didn't think I'd being see you guys here."

Both turned to look at you as you approached, and, while Mettaton smiled slightly, his cousin slid slightly to the left to hide behind Mettaton's shoulder.

"Hello, dear. It feels like it's been a while. How have you been?"

"You know, same old, same old. Did I tell you Vet picked up guitar?"

You talked for a while, eventually dragging Napstablook into the conversation. Apparently, he, Shyren and Mettaton had all found a common love in music and music making and had thus been attempting to stop being anti-social by socializing with each other. Mettaton had brought some alcohol to the party, while Napstablook had brought some brownies. You laughably pointed out that, if they wanted some of the peanut butter cookies, they better get some now because your son was 'on the prowl.' At one point, you took a glance around to see Papyrus and Sans sharing a very thrilling silent conversation over beside the tables. 

Sans came to find you again when Alphys called for attention (quite nervously, you might add). She wrung her hands as Undyne came over, looking somewhat confused. 

"U-Undyne... I know we've been together a while..."

"Yeah?" 

"And I've wanted to ask this for a while..." 

Undyne glanced nervously around when Alphys took her hand. "... Yeah?"

"U-Undyne... W-would you like... to marry me?" 

Well, that was something you had not been expecting. You glanced at Sans to see if he had been tipped into it, but he looked even more surprised than you did. The only one who looked more disbelieving had to be Undyne herself.

"... Wait, for real?"

"... Y-yeah?" Alphys looked like she was hoping she could just spontaneously combust at that very moment. 

"I mean, for real, for real?"

"... Yes?" If her voice squeaked anymore, she might as well just not speak at all. 

"I just can't believe it!" Undyne suddenly began to laugh, hiding her rather purple face behind a hand. 

"W-w-why not?!"

Undyne scooped the lizard monster up into her arms, spinning her in a rather dangerous-looking circle. "I was going to ask you the same thing!"

Alphys blinked several times, glasses askew. "... R-really?"

"Yeah!"

"Th-then, yes! I will marry you, Undyne!"

"And I will marry you, my huge nerd!" 

The two began to giggle and laugh in what almost seemed to be relief, clinging to one another as they danced in jagged, dizzying circles. You couldn't help but smile as Undyne pressed a rather gentle kiss to Alphys' forehead. 

The monsters pressed in around them to congratulate them, but you hung back. Sans still looked shell shocked beside you. When you elbowed him, he jumped out of his metaphorical skin. 

"You okay there, bone boy? You're acting like you're the one that got proposed to." You snorted. 

"'m fine. just... surprised." 

You looked back to the happy couple, who were now talking to a beaming Helvetica. "So... What does marriage mean to monsters?" You spoke quietly out of the corner of your mouth, not wanting to draw attention to yourself. 

"normally means a soul-bond. no closer connection between two monsters. can only really be reversed with some serious magic only a handful can manage. not a lot are committed enough to do it." It was clear he was only giving you the basics.

"Hmm." You glanced at Sans again. He looked lost in thought. When you nudged him softly, he squeezed your hand in return. "Come on. Let's go congratulate them." 

The rest of the party was actually kind of fun. There were a few monster games you'd learned to love over the years, a few stories you'd heard, a few you hadn't, some monster version of truth or dare (during which, Helvetica downed half the punch bowl and managed to fit a dozen cookies into his mouth at one time), and at one point, much to your surprise, everyone turned to you to ask about how human marriage differed.

It was... nice. Kind of funny to see them so confused over the whole culture difference. While not too different, it was apparently enough to throw them through a loop. It took a while to get through the basics with someone asking a question every five seconds. Even Sans looked interested, despite his previous tight-lipped-ness over monster marriage.

Helvetica looked groggy but content by the time you decided to head for home. The walk was nice and companionable, if somewhat quiet. Helvetica nosed your chin more than once, humming softly to himself as Waterfall's glowing, blue plants passed by. 

Helvetica joined you on the sofa as soon as you and Sans sat down, sprawling across your lap quite happily. You laughed, smoothing his ruffled crest of feathers, to which he purred happily in response. At one point, just as you were dozing off, Sans' head fell to your shoulder, snoring softly.

You smiled, laughing softly. Something warm and familiar fluttered in your chest, making your eyes drift shut as you slept a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long lol
> 
> But here you go!! Party thing!! I hope you like it!!


	37. Somewhere Only We Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _I feel like nothing was real until I met you._  
>  I feel like we connect and I really get you.  
> If I said you're truly beautiful, would it upset you?

A few days went by from the day of the proposal-party, and Sans had a lot to think about.

More often than not, he would wake in your bed and watch you as slept, sometimes until you woke, sometimes getting up after a few minutes to get a start on the day. Today, both you and Sans had the day off. Watching you as you slept, smiling when your hands fidgeted in their place beside your head, he felt... content. At home. Warm and fuzzy inside.

Eventually, he left you to sleep in peace- he'd heard that people could feel when they were being stared at, and often woke as a response- and shuffled toward the kitchen. As he passed Helvetica's door, he could hear the orange monster's soft snuffles and snores as he snoozed the time away.

A pot of coffee was brewing by the time you appeared, stretching lazily in a ruffled tank top and shorts. He smiled to himself as you came up, pressing a half-hearted kiss to his cheekbone as you reached for a mug.

"Morning, bone boy."

"mornin'."

"Sleep alright?"

"mm. you?"

"Mm. You feeling waffles?"

The smell of waffles apparently woke Helvetica, who found his way into the kitchen looking rather bright eyed, feathers askew about his head. You smiled, smoothing them into place as he fixed himself a cup of coffee before attempting to steal a waffle from the growing pile. You swatted his hand away, shaking your finger in mock anger.

Breakfast was pleasant.

"So, plans for today, Vet?"

"I don't know, actually. Might just take a walk around the underground."

"If you'd like, I can join you. It's been a while since I've been to the Capitol. Sans?"

"nah. have work in the evening, anyway. go have mother-son time without me."

You rolled your eyes with a snort. "Alright, bone boy. If you're going to laze around, can you at least do the dishes while we're out?"

"sure."

Truthfully, Sans would've liked to have gone. But... He had a lot to think about, still. And some poking around to do. Jewelry wasn't exactly a common thing in the underground, and those of the hand variety were even fewer and far between. Perhaps he could strike a deal with Muffet...? He heard she did that kind of thing, if for a pretty radical price.

 

Sans hummed to himself as he carefully put the mugs up to dry, feeling rather content. As he reached for another plate, he glanced at his phone. He had gotten Muffet's number from a friend recently; should he call? It seemed the most logical option. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach. He wondered how much it would take to make sure Muffet wouldn't spill. He dried his hands.

He was reaching for his phone when there was a sudden, icy cold feeling in his soul that froze him to the spot- and the next instant, it was as though a chilled hand had grabbed ahold of his soul and wrenched him sharply backward.

He had the sensation of flying backwards through space, then he was staggering to keep his feet as the world suddenly flew up to meet him.

The first thing he registered was the noise: the sound of magic shattering against stone and tile, ricocheting against walls and ceiling and floor, and another, more organic noise- someone roaring their anger and fear against the most unforgivable of crimes, the words drowned out by the magic flying through the air.

The second was where exactly he was: the golden-colored hall leading to the King's chambers and throne room, the light of the Capitol casting harsh shadows as it fell through the pillars and filled the air with a warm radiance that could nearly blind one not expecting it.

The third, as he twisted around to see exactly who was locked in such a furious battle, was the color red, thrown harshly against the deep amber of the floor tiles, glistening and gleaming in the brilliant light. Smears and drops of red scuffed the floor, leading up to where a body was laying limp against one of the enormous pillars. Sans' soul fell dead in his chest.

It was you.

You were deathly pale, face held in an expression of taut agony as you pressed a hand to your midsection, chest heaving. The air stank of blood as tiny particles of blue and orange scattered across the floor.

Sans was at your side in an instant, hands shaking violently. He briefly looked up, catching sight of Helvetica as he launched himself off a pillar, tears streaming from crazed eyes as he opened his jaws in some form of fury. Clutched in his hands were two, long, feather-like swords of brilliant white magic. A shadow ducked behind a pillar as they slashed through the air.

"sweetheart, sweetheart, open your eyes, please, talk to me." Sans touched your face despite the light clicking from his bones, feeling cold and oddly numb to the threat of high-charged magic so nearby. For a moment, nothing happened, and Sans felt dread, hot as panic, shoot us his spine. Then your eyelids flickered, and glassy eyes peered out at him from behind the lashes.

"S-Sans." You breathed, breathing shaky and ragged.

"sweetheart, i'm here. what happened? are you hurt?" Of course you were; there was blood everywhere. It seemed to invade his sense, feeling him with a feeling that could only be described as drowning.

"I... don't know." You winced, shifting slightly. "Wanted to see the view from the windows, but there was... there was some flower. He seemed surprised to see me. Wasn't making any sense. Talked about the 'other humans from before'- too weak, no hope, something about 'resets'." You gasped, eyes flying open suddenly, then ground your teeth. "He tried... to warn us that there was some monster. But..."

Your hand slid off from where it had been pressed to your lower ribcage, a wide, grisly wound now gaping, weeping for all to see. Fear filled Sans, and he forced himself to look away, gripping one of your hands tightly, the other now pressed to your cheek. Distress drowned him even further. Laughter cackled from somewhere, bouncing between the pillars.

"it's gonna be okay, sweetheart."

"I don't... know... God, Sans, it hurts."

"i know, sweetheart, i know, but it'll all be okay soon. we'll just get you to Alphys, and-"

"Sans, I can't."

"why not?!"

"I can't feel my legs."

Cold, hard dread fell on Sans like a chunk of stone. He stared pleadingly into your eyes, which had cleared away some of their former glossiness. Tears streamed from his sockets as thin lines trickled from yours. Suddenly, something lit dimly in your eyes- a realization. A faintly excited smile stretched painfully across your face.

"Sans- the surface. You'll finally get to see it. Both of you. All of you."

He furiously shook his head, tears scattering to land beside your blood on the tiles. "not like this. it won't be the same."

"Why not?"

"i wanted to see it /with/ you." His nonexistent throat threatened to choke him. You blinked gently up at him, something- regret- making your eyes soft and sad.

"Oh, Sans." You breathed, shakily lifting a hand and pressing it to his cheek. He nearly flinched at how cold it was, but leaned desperately into the touch. "Please don't cry."

"please don't leave me, sweetheart." He choked on the words, nonexistent throat gulping around a thick lump. Something shattered nearby, scattering pearly white and blue shards into your hair.

"Sans."

"s-sweetheart..."

"Smile because it happened."

He began to sob, clinging desperately to your hand as the fingers slowly grew limp against his cheek. You chuckled, though it broke into a weak, wet cough halfway through.

"You never... were very good at listening to me, were you?"

He couldn't stop crying now, even if he tried. "sweetheart... i... i'm sorry."

"I love you, bone head."

"i love you, too, sweetheart."

You smiled rather weakly at him- if he hadn't been so focused on your face, he would have missed it- then, your eyes drifted shut and your hand fell slack against him.

Your soul was a lovely, soft shade of lavender.

It beat softly as it hovered above your chest. While the sight of a soul had previously been a thrill, a sick one, but a thrill, this- this filled him with a bittersweet feeling of both immense sadness and faint... warmth. It leaned in his direction, glowing gently as it grew slightly nearer. He wanted to touch it, to feel it, to hold it in his hands- but to do so would mean it would no longer exist, and he...

Somewhere at the edge of his subconscious, he was aware of the world slowly breaking away at the edges.

Heavy panting rose nearby, followed by staggering footsteps as two magical weapons fell to the ground and clattered against the tiles.

"Mom...?"

Helvetica's small voice, high pitched in distress, snapped Sans out of his daze.

His LOVE had increased. But there was something off about the number- as if it didn't agree with itself.

Sans fixed his eyes to your son, who was ruffled and rugged looking, but not too hurt. The pain flooding through his gaze far outweighed any injuries he might have sustained. He staggered forward, collapsing to his knees beside you as he reached out a trembling hand to your shoulder.

"Mom? Please, please wake up. Please, Mom, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

Helvetica began to sob, heavier than he ever had when he accidentally burned his wings or stubbed his toes. He buried his muzzle into your shoulder, choked sounds escaping from his jaws as he clutched your limp body closer. Sans didn't say anything. Your soul was... lovely. Part of him didn't believe...

The edges of the world crumbled ever closer.

"Dad."

Sans ripped his gaze his gaze from your softly beating soul to meet Helvetica's gaze- and in that moment realized that he knew, in this instant this monster knew what was happening, that the world was slowly going out of existence around them- but it wasn't terror that filled his eyes. It was despair.

"Dad, I don't want to disappear."

Sans reached out and clutched his son closer, head falling to bury itself in his feathery frill as the weeping monster gripped him just as tightly.

"i know, kiddo. i k n o w . . . "

 

 

 

R

 

E

 

S

 

  
E

 

 

T

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Because the way you look tonight, silhouetted,_  
>  I'll never forget it!  
> Oh, oh, dear human,  
> Your soul has touched my heart!  
> Oh, oh, dear Helvetica,  
> I'll never let anything in this world keep us apart!  
> I won't let anything in this world...  
> ... tear us apart.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> __  
>   
> 
> 
> __  
> _... And that is the end of this story that was meant to be a one-shot but turned into a 30+ chapter story!_  
>   
> 
> __  
> _I hope you enjoyed it! It's been such a lovely thing to do and write for you- the highlight of my days has been to read all the comments this got!! Thank you, all of you, for reading this! You have no idea how happy it makes me!! I can't even express my gratitude correctly AAAAH_  
>   
> 
> __  
> _((Did you know, there was a scrapped ending where Helvetica absorbed the soul and took Sans through the barrier, where the world would have reset as he went back for the other souls?))_  
>   
> 
> __  
> _You guys should check out the two After-Story chapters I added on; if you're confused, they should help clear things up nicely. I'd appreciate it if you read them before you commented about how bad and confusing this chapter is. ^^;_  
> 


	38. After Story Part 1: But it refused

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

All right, I get it. No one is entirely sure what just happened. And, yeah, I can understand that; I wrote it choppy and chaotic. Let me sum it up from the writer's point of view:

Chapter starts off fine; happy family breakfast. Reader and Helvetica decide to go for a walk while Sans stays home. Undetermined amount of time later, while Reader and Helvetica are in the judgement hall, they come across Flowey. Flowey says something about the previous humans- the ones Sans has killed- and the resets, while an unidentified monster apparently came up behind Reader and Helvetica; he tries to warn them, but too late. Reader is stabbed through. Helvetica, in a fearful rage, attacks the murderer. Just then is when Sans is forcefully teleported to the hall by an unknown force. Reader dies shortly after, just when Helvetica presumably dusts the offending monster. World resets.

... Yeah, a lot is left up to interpretation. It's meant to be that way. It happened abruptly, out of no where. It's meant to be that way. It's rushed and a lot happens all at once. It's meant to be that way. It's not satisfying. It's meant to be that way.

I'm sorry you didn't like it, that you found it hollow and unsatisfying, but please remember that it's meant to be that way. Hell, it's not even supposed to feel 'earned.' (And by the way, it was not a rushed 'I just want to hurry up and end the fic' moment. It was actually the ending I had planned ever since I started taking this fic seriously.)

Also, can we please stop saying the same things over and over again? I get it, you didn't like it, but I got so many comments saying the same thing, I have a fragile artist ego ( ;n;) and reading the same things over and over kind of... hurts? Is discouraging? Something like that. I respect that you don't like it, I can get that. But... It is my fic. And just because you didn't like it didn't mean I didn't try. If it really bothers you so much, pretend it didn't happen! Pretend they got a happier ending. :3

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these add-on chapters! I hope they clear a few things up for you and make the ending a little more enjoyable. :)

AUTHOR'S NOTE END

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BRIGHT

BRIGHTER

YET BRIGHTER

THE LIGHT KEEPS GROWING

ELECTRON READINGS POSITIVE

THIS NEXT RESET SEEMS

VERY

VERY

INTERESTING

WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK?

 

When Sans woke in his bed from years ago, he screamed.

He cried uncontrollably, not bothering to try and rein in his grief and agony and loss and anger. His magic spiked, and he couldn't see through his right eye, but he just wanted to /cry/. He just wanted, for once, to let himself cry without thinking of what others- not you, he never feared what you might think- might think of him. He clawed at his face, his arms, his ribs, so hard he might have left grooves in his bones, scratched until his fingers ached.

Everything was gone. The world he had grown to like, the underground that wasn't charged with spite, the one he loved, his son...

Would you still fall down? Would everything play out the same? Would he have to wait years, again, for your affection? But... All the times before, when a human was killed and the world had reset, it had been a different human with a differently colored soul. He might never see you again. He wasn't ready to go back to this hell, but he was already there.

It didn't take long for Papyrus to come bursting into the room, looking almost afraid, and Sans realized he must have been causing quite the racket. It didn't take long for Papyrus' gaze to fall on him, confused one second, angry the next.

"BROTHER! IF YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO GET OUT OF WORK BY HURTING YOURSELF, IT WON'T WORK. WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU BAWLING ABOUT? DON'T TELL ME THIS IS ALL OVER SOME RIDICULOUS NIGHTMARE."

Sans growled, grinding his teeth. "leave me be."

"YOU BETTER GET OUT OF BED SOON, OR IM PUTTING THAT ONE HP TO THE TEST."

Papyrus' look of shock when he flew backwards out of the room, followed by the door slamming shut and locking, did nothing to appease Sans' bad mood.

He curled in on himself, hunching his shoulders as he half heartedly wiped away the tear tracks smeared across his cheeks- though it was fruitless, considering they were replaced a second later. Maybe... Maybe all he had it wrong. Maybe you'd be pulled back to underground. Maybe you would remember a little bit. Maybe, deep down inside, you would still harbor the same love for him as you had... before.

Maybe all he had to do was wait.

 

There was a new human in the underground, and Sans could not give less of a fuck about whether they died or not.

When they first came out of the ruins, he was heavily disappointed; some scrawny kid carrying a boot, trotting their way through the underground as if they had some kind of purpose. He was bitter. He stopped them at the bridge, glared at them a moment, warned them about his brother, and disappeared. He'd been making a point to avoid or ignore them as often as possible. His anger had only grown when he'd spotted what exactly was in that boot: a timid, scared flower, eyeing him frightfully.

How he wanted to crush that thing.

To his surprise, and distaste, they were still alive a few months later. They had even been so much as making friends with all the creatures who should have killed them. It made his magic boil; how dare they? They had even befriended Papyrus- Papryus, the human-hunting fanatic! That had to be the worst part. Papyrus repeatedly attempted to get him to 'form a peace alliance' with the human, but Sans simply teleported away whenever it was brought up, much to his brother's frustration.

He had grown ever more morose and solitary. He spent a lot of time trying to sleep- sometimes, in his dreams, he caught glimpses of you and Helvetica at varying ages and states of happiness. Always, it was just when you called out to him, waved at him, smiled at him, that he would wake up.

And, more often than not, it was because that stupid kid kept pestering him. (Though, there were times when he was almost grateful of the interruption; sometimes he had nightmares, of being so close to grabbing your hand, so close to finally, finally being able to feel you again, but in that moment blood would flow from a sudden wound and pain wound find its way across your face and he would recoil in shock and revived grief.)

The kid was apparently deadset on being his friend, no matter how often he snarled at them, threatened them, turned their soul blue and forced them to hover a few feet off the ground as he grinned maliciously, they came back. It was infuriating.

That was another thing- their soul was red. He'd never seen that kind before. Orange? Yeah. Blue? Sure. Green? Duh. Yellow? Yep. Red? No. He'd heard the color of a soul coincided with what drove the bearer. What did red mean?

Why should he care?

Probably because, no matter how many times they died, they came back.

And it wasn't even like they kept falling into the ruins- they would restart wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted, it seemed. Sometimes he ate the same breakfast over and over and over again because they kept dying and coming back and trying again. That, too, was infuriating.

He just wanted to sleep.

 

They were taking their time; a few months had gone by, and they were only just starting on Waterfall. Apparently, they wanted to be friends with everyone before they went to the barrier. Why, Sans didn't care. He was just tired of existing.

And then, one day, they showed up at his door in the morning.

Normally they had the decency to wait until he was out of the house to come and bother him; it was a good thing, too, because his patience wore thin in the mornings. So, to find his usual cup of coffee disturbed by a small knock on the door was not a welcome change.

He scowled when he opened the door, glaring down at the kid as the flower hung onto their arm by his leaves, looking afraid and very, very much like he didn't want to be there.

"kid." He growled, bearing his canines. The flower shrunk back, but the kid just stared up at him as they usually did.

"Frisk, we really shouldn't be here. This is a really bad idea..." The flower whimpered, hiding behind the human's hair, though peeking out nervously when the human shifted on their feet, hands tucked close to their chest.

"what do you want?" Sans narrowed his eyes at them, attempting to portrait with every fiber of his being that he didn't want them there.

Silently, they extended their hands. Resting between their palms was a rather large egg. A very familiar egg.

It felt as though the world had stopped, and at once Sans' angry facade fell. When he extended a hand toward the smooth, perfect egg, the human pressed it into his hands willingly. He cupped it gently, deathly afraid of jarring it or breaking it, feeling familiar tears well up in sockets. His head fell as he clutched the egg closer, tucking it safely into his chest as he sagged against the doorframe. He shuddered as the tears spilled from his sockets.

Silence. Then, the flower spoke.

"Golly... How did you...?"

And the humans small voice answered.

"Just a hunch."

He took several deep breaths, then, through his sputtering tears,

"thanks, kid."

He thought they might have smiled before they left him in peace. He heaved himself to his feet, quickly ducking inside and closing the door behind him. He stared down at the small, warm thing resting in his hands and smiled weakly.

"i've gotcha, kiddo. i'm here."

 

He waited ages for that egg to hatch.

He guarded it jealously, snarling at whoever came too close, forever making sure it was warm and safe and tucked gently into his pocket or cradled in his hands. Whenever Papyrus grew too curious, he was quick to be driven away by Sans' growling voice. When they learned it was an egg he had gotten from the human, everyone assumed he'd gone mad. At least, some said, he didn't seem intent on hurting the human.

He whispered to it sometimes, cooed and gently murmured things to it, things of the past, memories he yearned to relive. He liked to imagine the life inside was listening and remembered, too, as ridiculous as it sounded. He waited with baited breath for the day it would hatch.

Slowly, as days by days passed and still no sign nor sound came from the egg, dread began to creep up on him, bit by slow bit. What if... What if something had changed? What if, in this timeline, he never...?

He didn't want to think about it, but he found himself thinking of it more and more as the days wore on.

And then, one day, as he contemplated it sitting on the kitchen table, it made a small noise. He leaned closer, hope fluttering in his ribcage. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Then, it twitched. Carefully, he closed his hands around and lifted it. It twitched again.

"hey there, buddy." Sans whispered, to which it responded with another small squeak. A smile found its way across his face. "i've gotcha. come on out and meet the world."

It took several hours. First it was just a tiny hole. Then a segment shifted and cracked. Then more cracks appeared, spreading around the egg in more and more vigorous chips. Then, finally, it busted, and from the clean, white shards tumbled a tangle of legs and wings. It rolled about a moment, chirping shakily as it struggled to find its footing. Sans reached a hand toward the warm, orange bundle, and it flinched as his fingers brushed it. He smiled softly.

"hey there, kiddo." It lifted its head, blinking at him for several moments before letting out a squeak. It tilted its head, the predecessor to what would be a frill shifting damply about its head. "daddy's gotcha. daddy's here."

It chirped brightly when he lifted it into his hands, snuffling the bones with a warm, peach-fuzzy snout. It weakly flapped its wings, then grabbed one of his fingers and bumped its head against it. Sans smiled, his first real smile in what felt like an eternity.

"i've got you, Helvetica." 


	39. After Story Part 2: The Surface

The surface was... something.

Colorful and varied. Everything you said it would be. It was an entirely different kind of experience to take a breath full of this air, up so high on this mountain. Watching the sun rise of the edge of the horizon had to be the best part- it reminded him of you.

But... something was lacking. It didn't feel as gratifying as he thought it would. Part of it felt as though someone was missing- someone like you. Having Helvetica there, however, perched on his shoulder and sniffing the air excitedly as he strained forward, eager to take it all in, was... wonderful.

He'd been raising the kid alone for a few months now; he was beginning to speak and talk and draw, eager to explore and poke his nose where it didn't really belong. A pang of anxiousness shook Sans; would he be able to raise a kid on the surface? It was hard enough when you knew how where you lived worked, but up here, everything was... different.

The best thing was that Helvetica hadn't changed. He was still bubbly, excited, eager to learn and to love. He loved to wear the sweaters Sans had Mettaton make for him- which had been hard to do, going so low as to ask for the tin can's help- and had even started calling him 'Dad' again.

In fact, he even still loved peanut butter.

Apparently, no one had thought much of Sans adopting the mysterious hatchling. Maybe they thought it was the human's influence. When Papyrus had first stumbled upon Helvetica calling him 'dad,' his initial response had been surprise. When he had asked Sans if he was acting as the abandoned monster's father figure and Sans had responded with yes, he had been rather ecstatic. Something about always wanting to be an uncle. The others? Rather indifferent. 

Humans were... strange. One human in an underground full of monsters was odd enough; being a monster on a surface covered in humans was something else. It wasn't that they were cruel or rude or evil; they were afraid, more often than not. 'Rehabilitating' to the surface was proving to be a long and painful process; Sans often found himself escaping away from the city where they now lived, to the ocean, or the forests, or the large, rolling hills at the base of Mount Ebott. 

If nothing else, the surface was beautiful. Letting Helvetica explore the new places he found himself, however, was proving to be hectic. Briefly, at times, Sans would find himself wondering if, perhaps, you were somewhere to be found. He had to reason himself out of such hopeful thinking; even if you were around, what were the chances he'd find you? Humans all looked rather similar to him, anyway.

"hey, kiddo. you wanna get some ice cream?"

"Yeah! Yeah!"

"alright. what kind?"

"Peanut butter! Peanut butter!"

"i thought so. alright, come on." 

Sans shuffled his way down the sidewalk, Helvetica clinging to his skull like a burr. He could feel the kid sweeping his gaze back and forth, sniffing curiously as someone with a dog walked past on the opposite side of the street. It was a wonderfully blue day; only a few streaks of cloud scuffed the endlessness above him. He smiled to himself, taking a deep breath. You hadn't been lying when you said the air up here was so much more refreshing. 

"Hey, scum bag! That's right, over here!" 

From a nearby alley there was a small thump, followed by a grunt of pain. A human in a hoodie backed out of it, waving their arms above their head before cranking an arm back and hurling a stone down the alley. There was a scuffle and some shouting, and the next instant the human had turned and- ran right into Sans at a dead run. 

They staggered back, clutching their forehead and muttering under their breath. The blue hood fell from their head when they looked up to meet his gaze. He blinked, shell shocked as they straightened. 

In all his life, he would have never believed he would quite literally run into you, against all odds.

"Sorry, dude, didn't see you there. You might want to get out of here, some thugs are-" 

You glanced over your shoulder as several large, angry humans came bursting out of the alley, and, behind them, slunk a rather ruffled looking monster that quickly made an escape. You scowled, planting yourself between them and Sans. If he hadn't been so stupefied, he would have stood against them himself. He didn't even care if he didn't know what they were doing wrong; if you were standing against them, so was he.

"Sup, my dudes. Enjoying a good mouth of the pavement?" You sneered as they drew ever closer, spitting something about being a good for nothing monster lover. "If you wanna hurt him, you have to get through me first!" 

They faltered, then advanced ever closer, and it was then that Sans snapped out of his stupor. The humans staggered back when a wall of bones rose to block their path. 

"if you want to hurt them, you also have to get through a wall of bones first."

You glanced at him from over your shoulder in obvious surprise. They sneered and snarled, but however they tried to draw closer, bones were sure to block them. Eventually, they trailed away, grumbling and muttering amongst themselves in bitter defeat. You grinned after them, looking rather satisfied. 

You waited until they were out of sight, then turned to Sans with your hands on your hips, looking impressed. "Thanks for that. They would have pummeled me for sure. As much as I bluff, I'm not exactly fit to fight a group of angry jerks." You huffed, rolling your eyes. "Anyway, sorry for running into you. Name's (Y/N)." And you stuck out your hand, and his soul fluttered furiously in his ribcage. 

He almost said 'I know,' but caught himself. He put his hand in yours, giving it a firm shake. "Sans." 

Your eyes shifted to his shoulder, where Helvetica had huddled behind him in fear of the angrily charged air and was only just deciding to show himself again. "And who's this little guy?" You smiled, eyes soft. Sans' soul fluttered yet more furiously. 

"c'mon, kiddo. say hi. tell 'em what your name is." Sans shrugged, jostling Helvetica on his shoulder. Helvetica squeaked, but peeked up at you rather shyly. Was Sans mistaken, or had that been a spark of recognition in his eyes?

"'M Helvetica!" 

You smiled, extending a hand to him. "Nice to meet you, buddy!"

Instead of shaking your hand as any usual monster would do, Helvetica took your hand in both of his and rubbed his head against your palm, letting out a friendly hum. A momentary look of surprise took over your face, closely followed by a small, giddy smile. You laughed, looking tickled pink.

"Aw ha ha! You're a cute little bugger, aren't ya?" You gave Helvetica a gentle pat before lowering your hands, putting them in your pockets. "Welp, been nice to meet you. I'll... See you around?" You lifted a hand in a halfhearted wave, then turned on your heel. 

Shit, wait! He couldn't lose you so soon! Think, Sans, think...

"uh, hey!" You turned, looking curiously over your shoulder at him. "you, uh, you know any good ice cream places around here?"

You smiled, waving him to follow you. "Sure thing. There's one right around the corner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right. There's your ending. Please be happy. Sorry you didn't enjoy it. Just think of it as... Journey, not the destination, or something?
> 
> I'm sorry if I sound bitter. Mostly I'm just tired. Have this final piece; its rushed, but I just wanted to get this over with. 
> 
> Thank you, all of you who read and enjoyed and commented and left kudos! It's been a wild and unexpected ride, but for the most part, I enjoyed it. I hope you remember my trash writing fondly rather than bitterly. <3


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